Boo! How to Frighten Your Husband (Recipe: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cupcakes)

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Halloween Fright: A Play in One Act

Scene: 7:08 a.m., the day before Halloween, morning of child's preschool Halloween party.

The kitchen of a middle-class home, USA. Strains of Sesame Street audible. Bowls of icing, muffin tins, and paper baking cups strewn across counter tops. Wife stands on kitchen chair in state of dishabille (costumer's note: jeans, bra, fuzzy socks, haphazard ponytail), camera in hand, photographing cupcakes.

Gorgeous, immaculate husband enters stage right.

Husband: (extended pause) "Uhhh...have you fed the cat?"

Toddler enters stage left, clutching chocolate-filled piping bag. Face is covered in chocolate.

Toddler: "More chocolate, Mommy?"

Curtain closes; applause.
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Enlightened Pumpkin Cupcakes

I strongly advise keeping a can of pumpkin in the pantry at all times: it opens the door to all manner of healthy and delicious baked goods with minimal effort. This particular recipe originates from a Libby's Pumpkin cookbook brochure I procured in my mid-twenties. I think I have made just about every recipe it contains. I have significantly tweaked this from the original; I call them cupcakes here, but you can call them muffins, too, and eat them for breakfast.

I confess I was not paying attention as I stirred together the icing for these cupcakes this morning. But the ingredients are simple: powdered sugar and milk. Given the hour (6:15 a.m.) and my pre-caffeinated state, I didn't bother sifting the powdered sugar; I just kept stirring until all the lumpy-bumpiness was gone, then smoothed over the tops of the cakes. After dressing myself partway, I returned to the kitchen where I melted some chocolate in the microwave and piped in semi-decorative manner over the icing. Happy Halloween!

1 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl whisk the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a medium bowl whisk the pumpkin, buttermilk, eggs, canola oil, and vanilla. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon just until moist. Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups lined with paper liners.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until cakes spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely on a wire rack. Makes 16 small cupcakes.

Nutrition per Serving (1 unfrosted cupcake):
Calories 183; Fat 4.9g (poly 0.3g, mono 1.4g, sat 3.1g); Protein 3.2g; Cholesterol 24mg; Carbohydrate 37.5g; Fiber 3.8; Sodium 159mg)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle, Maple & Lime

You may imagine that I never struggle with the question of "what to make for dinner." I like to imagine that, too. But the reality is I still get stumped. So I've a few tricks up my sleeve for getting myself excited about the evening repast when I'm starved of inspiration.

I was gazing at cellophaned packages of poultry, pork, and ground beef at my local Kroger yesterday when I was feeling the loss of my culinary muse. Hadn't we just eaten all of that 100 times over? Could a liquid diet be all that bad?

Nick must have sensed my encroaching anti-dinner mania, because he promptly yelled "Mommy!!!!" and proceeded to ask, in loud sing-song, whether I knew the Muffin Man. I came to my senses, and performed a 180 with the race car shopping cart (no small feat; it is, perhaps one of the least aerodynamic locomotives of all time) and headed to the produce department to employ trick Number 1: when stumped over supper, focus on the sides--the main will follow.

The sweet potatoes were calling my name (even louder than Nick), so I bagged a bunch and headed to the checkout counter. I had some chicken breasts in the freezer; I could conjure something, somehow, so long as I had a delectable side dish to hold my attention.

A good old roasting sounded just right, so I cranked up the oven and set the scrubbed potatoes within. About halfway through baking, I rembered a past episode of Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill: he made a twice-baked sweet potato, scooping out the roasted flesh, seasoning it with yummy bits of some sort, then re-stuffing and baking again.

That was exactly what I needed to do.

So I made an impromptu version of my own, using a flavor combination I've used in past sweet potato recipes: chipotle, lime and cumin. It was a snap to pull together, and, judging from the scraped-clean potato skins on our plates (even the 1/4-size one on Nick's), it was an overwhelming success.

And no one, myself included, cared one iota that the accompanying chicken breast was as plain as could be.




Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle, Maple & Lime

The leftovers tasted every bit as good--perhaps eeven better--reheated for lunch today.

4 medium sweet potatoes, unpeeled
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup (honey would also work well)
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
juice and grated zest of 2 small limes
1/2 cup fresh wholegrain breadcrumbs (I used a slice of multi-grain bread, whirred in processor)

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until soft, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh, being careful not to tear the skin.

Place the sweet potato flesh in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Mix in the sour cream, cumin, chipotle power, lime zest and lime juice. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray (or line with parchment). Fill each of the skins with the sweet potato mixture, place back on the baking sheet and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Makes 4 servings (2 halves per serving).

Nutrition per serving (about 2 stuffed potato halves):
Calories 168; Fat 2.3g (poly 0.2g, mono 0.6g, sat 1.3g); Protein 1.7g; Cholesterol 5.1mg; Carbohydrate 30.8g; Sodium 46mg; Fiber 2.9g)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)


Sweet Potato Nutrition Notes

Oh sweet potato, you can do no wrong. So delicious, so versatile, and so very nutritious. What's not to love?

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) ranked the sweet potato number one in nutrition of all vegetables. With a score of 184, the sweet potato outscored the next highest vegetable by more than 100 points.

The reasons the sweet potato took first place? Dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. The sweet potato received a score of 184; the vegetable ranked in second place was more than 100 points behind with a score of 83. The nutrition numbers speak for themselves: almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 42 percent of the recommendation for vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene, and, when eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal.

Thank you, Hannah!

I want to thank Hannah Craner, at Craner Design Studio, for doing such wonderful work on my blog design.

If you are interested in a face lift for your blog, do contact her! Working with her is a pleasure, in every regard.

Here is a link to her blog:

Craner Design Studios

Moist, Dark Gingerbread

In my last post, I mentioned baking gingerbread, which led to several requests for the recipe, including a comment from Marianne. I am happy to share, and was glad to have an excuse to make yet another batch.

I've been making this particular recipe for the past decade, beginning in graduate school. It arose from fond memories of my mother's gingerbread, which she would literally whip together after dinner when the impulse struck. Moist, dark, and not too sweet, it was one of the many desserts that cemented my love of that heavenly combination: brown sugar & butter.

Before I proceed further, I should note that I differentiate between ginger cake and gingerbread (my own quirk). In my mind, ginger cakes are grander affairs, often infused with strong libations, like coffee or stout, a panoply of spices far beyond ginger and cinnamon (think cardamom, allspice, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and more), and a no-holds-barred approach to butter. (Note: an exemplar case is the Guinness Stout Ginger Cake on epicurious.com. I made it for the groom's cake at our wedding. It's incredible).

Gingerbread, by contrast, is a modest affair that must exhibit some restraint. Moist, yes, but not too rich. Spicy, yes, but not too complex. One should be able to plate it as a simple dessert, then fork it up with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or a drizzle of lemon curd (not ice cream; save that for cake). But a good gingerbread should also be sturdy enough for portability: wrapped in wax paper and tucked into a lunch sack; swaddled in a napkin for afternoon tea; or perched in one hand while holding a British novel with the other.

So back to the recipe at hand. I'm not altogether certain of the magazine from which this first originated--likely an old issue of Woman's Day that I picked up for 10 cents at a public library sale. But I do know that one of the first changes I made was with the the butter. I don't know why, but sometimes I cannot bear the thought of softening and creaming butter. I know all of the tricks for making it faster and easier, but it doesn't matter. If I can bypass it, I will. And so I did with this recipe, melting it for an easy stir. It was a success, and actually improved the texture (moister!) of the cake.

Emboldened, I cut the butter from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup, and increased the buttermilk from 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup. Loved it. Finally, I upped the spices (not too much), swapped the plain sugar for light brown sugar, and replaced the honey (no, no, no!) with dark molasses. Oh yes; hello, gingerbread.

The recipe stayed the same for several more years, until two years ago, when I started testing recipes for my Enlightened Cakes book. I got on a whole wheat pastry flour high and started using it in almost everything. (Kevin put his foot down on "everything"; we reached a crisis point when I tried to use it in his granny's cornbread recipe.)

But it made it into the gingerbread recipe and it's here to stay. Enjoy--I can vouch for this gingerbread's worthiness for all occasions. (Note: I'll be back to savory in the next post!)






Yes, I love the parchment paper; see how easy it is to lift the entire cake out of the pan in one fell swoop? I will expand on this topic in a future post.




Moist, Dark Gingerbread

This recipe, along with a cup of tea, is just about as "me" as it gets (that's one of my Gran's teacups above). I cannot think of a better (edible) combination to exemplify my homebody-ness.

1 and 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses (dark Molasses, such as Grandma’s Brand)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Optional: powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray (or line with parchment or foil).

Whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl

Whisk the brown sugar, buttermilk, molasses, melted butter and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 27-28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle gingerbread with powdered sugar. Makes 12 generous pieces.

Nutrition per Serving (1/12 of cake):
Calories 168; Fat 5.6g (poly 0.4 g, mono 1.6g, sat 3.2g); Protein 2.8g; Cholesterol 29mg; Carbohydrate 28.1g; Fiber 1.7; Sodium 61mg)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Zupfe!

Autumn finally made it to Nacogdoches: crisp, golden, and cool. I feel like a new woman.

Apparently my fire ant bite was followed by a baking bug bite, because I can't seem to get enough bread and cake (watch for an upcoming post: the cake flush diet!). I made a batch of gingerbread on Thursday night, and last night I baked a loaf of Zupfe, a Swiss bread akin to challah.

I would likely never have made zupfe were it not for my husband. He is no pushover in the kitchen: an excellent cook in his own right (master of of one-pot man foods such as cassoulet, chili, and beef burgundy), he also subtly, but strongly, asserts his wishes for what should top my list of kitchen experimentations.

Zupfe rose to the top about two years ago. He fell in love with it on a visit to Switzerland in college, so much so that he purchased a Swiss cookbook with said recipe upon his return. Following mention that I was in the mood to bake bread one night, he opened the book to the desired recipe and plunked it in my lap

"I think you need to make zupfe."

And so I did. That night, and many nights to follow.

Forget the whole grain flour--this is worth sticking to plain bread flour. The finished bread has a tender crumb that is delicious with soup or as the base for a sandwich, but it reaches its apex when toasted for breakfast (think strawberry jam, nutella, or a combination of both). It' s so worth the splurge. Just follow the Swiss mode and have a bowl of yogurt on the side to balance things out.

I wanted to show you step by step photos of the "braiding" of zupfe because it is really quite easy. The written directions made my brain hurt on that first run-through; it helped having Kevin walk me through it. I wanted to offer the same assistance to you.

The final loaf looks like it's braided, but it's far easier than that: you're really just alternating the crossing of two coils of dough (more upright than flat). Just when you reach the final cross, the dough will look like a sad, gooey, lop-eared bunny. Lay it on it's side, tuck the ends under, and, ta-da, you have a "braided" loaf.

The finished bread looks so beautiful, but as you'll see from my dough photos, it looks anything but along the way. Yet all the imperfections puff away in the rising and baking. Just when you think "this is going to look like two giant, mating slugs", Poof! 40 minutes later you have a gorgeous loaf of golden bread.



Schweizer Zupfe (from the cookbook A Taste of Switzerland)

This is the very recipe I've used each time. My only modification is to loosely cover the bread with a big piece of foil during the final 20 minutes of baking (to keep it from getting too brown).

1 tablespoon dried yeast
10 fluid ounces (1 and 1/4 cups) warm milk
4 cups (1 pound) strong plain flour (I used King Arthur bread flour)
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
1 egg, beaten, for glaze

1. Dissolve the yeast in a little of the milk. Leave this to stand 15 minutes until yeast is proofed.

2. Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture and the remaining milk. Add the butter and one beaten egg.

3. Mix everything to a dough and knead it on a floured work surface.

4. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it and leave it for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

5. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

6. Punch down the dough and knead it again.

7. Divide it into two pieces and roll each piece into a sausage-shape, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.

8. Lay one piece on the work surface in a straight line vertically. Lay the other piece across it horizontally, to make a cross with equal-length arms.

9. Take the top part of the first piece and fold it down towards you and slightly to the right (as if at four o'clock).

10. Fold the right-hand side of the horizontal piece left over the piece you have just folded down (as if at five o'clock).

11. Take the left-hand side of the horizontal piece and fold it across over two strands of dough (as if at four-thirty).

12. Take the piece now on the far right and fold it to the left, over one strand.

13. Then take the piece on the far left and fold it to the right over two strands. Continue folding, first over one strand, to the left, and then over two, to the right, until your strands run out. Then turn the whole loaf over and seal the ends together.

14. Lay the loaf on a floured baking sheet and leave it to rise for 20 minutes.

15. Glaze it with the other beaten egg. Let stand 10 minutes. Bake the loaf for 35-40 minutes, or until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when knocked.

16. Cool it on a wire rack. Makes 1 big loaf (about 16 generous slices

Nutrition per Serving (1 slice):Calories 128; Fat 4.3g (poly 1.8g, mono 1.3g, sat 1.0g); Protein 3.2g; Cholesterol 27mg; Carbohydrate 18.6g; Fiber 0.8; Sodium 225mg)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)






Eek! It looks like I have man hands in these photos :)



At this point you'll think "this is so very wrong"--it's not. Have faith, and keep crossing the dough.

You're almost there..one more cross...

Then turn it on it's side and tuck the ends under--voila!

My Texas Irrititant

I have come to love many things about Texas since our move here 3 years ago. Texans themselves top my list: come for a visit and you’ll soon find that Southern hospitality is very real.

Nevertheless, I’m compelled to condemn an entire subpopulation of Texas residents; the judgment is long overdue. Nasty to the core, they populate every corner, crook, and cranny of the state. They make life miserable for one and all, and from what I’ve been able to discern firsthand—combined with stories from both friends and strangers—they are ruthless, despicable, and altogether pointless.

I’m talking fire ants.

My ire is piqued because one of the blasted buggers bit me on the foot last week. The bites turn into painful, scarlet pimples and they last about a week. But this one got infected to the point where I developed a 101 degree fever, indescribable aches, and finally a bright red calf and foot, swollen to the proportions of a baby elephant leg.

I realize this is not the most appetizing subject, and I haven’t forgotten that this is a food blog, but the two are intertwined. The antibiotics I’ve been taking for the past days have made me uber-nauseated; the thought of cooking and eating food has been unbearable. At several points I have been unable to watch the Food Network (gasp!). Kevin understood just how miserable I was feeling when I insisted we change the channel from a chocolate-caramel candy edition of Unwrapped.

But I’ve finished the antibiotoics, and last night I was ready for my return stoveside. Nick went to Mother’s Day Out yesterday morning (that’s preschool here in Texas), so I had the morning to scheme. Spicy, heavy food was out, but I still wanted something filling and cozy. The solution was clear: soup and bread. After some perusing through my files and magazines, I settled on creamy tomato soup and olive-orange focaccia.

The tomato soup is an adaptation of Joanne Weir’s creamy tomato soup, a recipe that appeared in Fine Cooking several years back. It’s wonderful when basil is in abundance, but I had a good feeling it would work well with a hint of fall flavor, too. Specifically, sage. I both simplified and lightened the recipe in two significant ways. First, I use canned tomatoes in place of the seeded fresh tomatoes she called for. Next, I used canned fat free evaporated milk in place of the heavy cream. Finally, I slashed the olive oil to 1 tablespoon (the original called for 4). I am happy to report that the result was slurpy heaven.

The only semi-fussy step is the blending of the soup. A stick blender is a great for many types of soup, but for this one, a blender is essential for achieving a silken texture. Be sure to blend the soup in small batches, without the top (cover with a dishtowel instead); otherwise, you may spend the night (a) cleaning tomato soup off the ceiling, and/or (b) visiting the emergency room for treatment of 3rd degree burns.


The focaccia recipe is from the October 2008 issue of Cooking Light. My husband and I turn into ravenous fiends in the presence of fresh-baked focaccia; it’s one of my favorite breads to bake, and since I love olives, too, this sounded like a winner. It is! Here’s the link:

Focaccia with Olives & Garlic


The only modifications I made were to use white whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour and and to sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of orange zest and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary over the top before baking. I had some heavenly rosemary & orange-marinated olives at lunch in Healdsburg, California last time my husband and I visitied the Bay Area, and I’ve been wanting to combine the two flavors in a dish ever since. Even the skeptic gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. Dunked in the tomato soup? The perfect ANTidote to all that had been ailing me. :)



Creamy Tomato Soup with Sage

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup canned tomato paste
2 teaspoons dry rubbed sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup canned fat-free evaporated milk
2 tespoons balsamic vinegar
Optional: sage leaves to garnish

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sage, broth, the 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the onions. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium low and let simmer 20 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes.

In a blender, purée the soup in batches until very smooth, at least 3 minutes. Return to pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat; stir in the evaporated milk and vinegar. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with the sage leaves, if desired. Makes 6 generous servings.

Nutrition per serving (about 1 and 1/2 cups soup):
Calories 89; Fat 2.5g (poly 0.5g, mono 1.4g, sat 0.4g); Protein 2.3g; Cholesterol 0mg; Carbohydrate 14.6g; Sodium 140mg; Fiber 2.9g)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Chocolate Snack Cake

Happy Friday everyone! Let's talk cake.

I’m dating myself, but does anyone else remember the commercials for Betty Crocker Snackin’ Cake from the 1970s? They worked on my pee-wee brain like magic: I wanted snackin’ cake, and I wanted it bad.

The appeal was twofold. First, the notion that cake can be a snack. To my child consciousness, this was pure genius. Why on earth was my mother pushing snacks of fruit, vegetables, and whole wheat crackers when chocolate- chocolate chip cake was a viable option?!!!

Second, the box came with its own cardboard baking pan, lending it a toy-like appeal that was right up my 7-year-old alley. I’m not sure why this was so alluring, but the thought of it made me giddy with excitement. According to the commercial, making the snackin’ cake was as simple as dumping the contents into the cute cardboard tray, mixing in some water, and baking for a brief spell. It sounded like heaven, sheer heaven.

My granola-making, Co-Op-shopping, vegetable-gardening mother, of course, thought it sounded like nonsense. She ignored my pleas and passed plates of peanut-butter & raisin-filled celery sticks instead. So long, snackin’ cake.

Fast forward 30 years: hello enlightened chocolate snackin' cake. Longing for a simple chocolate cake one evening, I merged several recipes into one to create one heck of chocolate-chocolate chip snackin' cake. It's an easy, everyday-type of chocolate cake: lunchbox friendly, not too sweet, frosting-free, and plenty of deep chocolate flavor.

Even better, this truly is a pantry cake, because –I know this may sound crazy, but you need to trust me here—it contains no eggs or dairy products. It has the rich chocolate flavor of a brownie, with the tender crumb of an old-fashioned cake. I used whole wheat pastry flour to make it that much more everyday-friendly, but all-purpose is fine, too. You probably have the ingredients on hand right now, so whip up a batch to test my claims.

I’m glad I waited for a new, improved snackin’ cake (and more than happy to admit that my mother was right--where would Enlightened Cooking be without her?). Now if only I could figure a way to construct my own cardboard baking trays…



Enlightened Chocolate Snackin’ Cake

Meditate on the following as you savor a piece of this old fashioned-tasting chocolate cake, morning, noon, or night: unsweetened cocoa powder and dark chocolate (hello chocolate chips!) are loaded with antioxidants; and each piece comes with 3.1 grams of whole grain fiber, to boot. Zen!

1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably NOT Dutch process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Optional: 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch-square metal cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well-blended.

In a large bowl whisk the water, oil and vanilla. Whisk in the dry ingredients. Spread batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with the chocolate chips.

Bake cake 35 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on rack. Cool. Serve warm, room temperature or cold. If desired, sift with powdered sugar. Makes 12 generous servings.

Nutrition per serving (1/12 of cake):
Calories 172; Fat 11.7g (poly 2.9g, mono 6.2g, sat 2.1g); Protein 2.8g; Cholesterol 0.0mg; Carbohydrate 17.1g; Sodium 203.7mg; Fiber 3.1g)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Bulgur Salad with Oranges, Cashews & Fresh Herbs

"Thou art to me a delicious torment."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson did not have bulgur on his mind when he penned those words, but I like to imagine my friend Lindsey did when she emailed on Friday with a plea for the recipe of my favorite bulgur salad. I've made said salad for her on two other occasions and was happy to oblige, especially since it gave me another (delicious) excuse to whip up a batch and go vegetarian this week.

Forgive me for boasting, but this salad deserves top honors for its tremendous flavor and overall appeal. It's chock full of good things, from oranges, to herbs, to cashews. It gets better and better with each passing day (as the flavors continue to meld), and because it is loaded with a hefty amount of protein, fresh fruit, whole grain, and fiber, it can be eaten as a filling main dish.

The recipe is not new (hence my willingness to brag); my mother has been making it for years. My adaptation, though, is a bit lighter in fat and calories, and heavier in flavor. The original appeared in a gorgeous mid-1980s era cookbook, Gourmet's Menus for Contemporary Living (I have a copy, too, it's worth picking up; I see there are several used ones on amazon.com for a penny--that's my kind of deal). It pleases me to no end that friends of all eating stripes are now loving it, too (even hardcore meat lovers), because it is one of my mother's quintessential recipes. It never gets old to me; one forkful sends shivers of nostalgia down my spine.

My version is a tweak, not an overhaul; I've kept all of the fundamental flavors and textures. First, I cut the total amount of olive oil (the original had 1 whole cup; it just doesn't need that much). Next, I increased the quantities of the ground spices and fresh herbs. Finally, I streamlined the bulgur preparation. With regard to the last element, the original called for covering the bulgur with enough water to cover by an inch, then some messy draining and squeezing. Who needs a fussy step when it's not needed? I changed it to a no-nonsense step, one that's right on the bulgur bag: soak the bulgur in an equal amount of cold water. That's it! It absorbs all the water, and no additional squeezing is required.

Enjoy, I know you will love it!

Bulgur Nutrition Notes:Bulgur is another one of those nutritional superstars--thank heavens it's so versatile and delicious (and inexpensive, too). A one-cup prepared serving has 6 grams of fiber and 33% of a day's supply of fiber. It even out-stars brown rice--compare and see:

1 cup of prepared bulgur
151 calories
0.44 grams fat
8.2 grams fiber
32.8 micrograms folate

1 cup cooked brown rice
216 calories
1.8 grams fat
3.2 grams fiber
7.8 micrograms folate

Look for bulgur in bags in the healthy food section of the supermarket (it's commonly available) or at natural food store (both in bags and in bulk).

Bulgur Salad with Oranges, Cashews & Fresh Herbs

I typically use Bob's Red Mill Light Bulgur, but you can use most any variety.
1 and 1/2 cups medium or coarse bulgur
1 and 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh grated orange zest
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup raisins
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 15-ounce can mandarin oranges packed in juice, drained
1/3 cup roasted, lightly salted cashew pieces (use raw cashews for raw recipe)

In a bowl combine bulgur and water. Let bulgur soak, uncovered, until softened, 20 to 25 minutes.

In a large bowl whisk together orange juice, lemon juice, honey, cumin, mustard, orange zest, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and oil until emulsified; season with additional salt & pepper to taste. Drain bulgur in a sieve and press out any excess water. Add bulgur, raisins, green onions, mint, cilantro, and oranges to dressing and toss well. Chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, stir in cashews. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition per serving (about 1 cup salad):Calories 213; Fat 6.7g (poly 2.3g, mono 1.5g, sat og); Protein 7.5g; Cholesterol 0.0mg; Carbohydrate 28.6g; Sodium 168mg; Fiber 9.2g)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Quinoa Burgers with Hummus & Roasted Red Peppers

I've been on a vegetarian bent since Sunday, largely because it was my husband's birthday last week, and that meant several days of Kevin's favorites: steak, cherry pie, fried chicken, red wine... Yum.

It was fun to slip into Southern kitchen queen mode for a spell, especially to celebrate, but I was in dire need of a healthy diet by the time Sunday morning rolled around. Happily, my grand (diabolical?) conversion scheme--winning Kevin over to my Northern California way of eating--seems to be working, albeit in slow spurts (I've modified to a 10-year plan). Dare I say he seemed happy--or at least compliant?--about a few days of vegetarian fare. Hee hee.

The quinoa in my cupboard called my name, so I used that as a starting point.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is often called “the mother grain”, which is more than a little misleading, given that it’s not really a grain at all. Rather, quinoa is a sweet, nutty seed from a plant related to chard and spinach. It’s as easy to cook as rice—maybe easier—and every bit as versatile, from side dishes, to stuffings, even breakfast and dessert.

You’ll find quinoa at most supermarkets and health-food stores in its whole form, like so:



The only “trick” to cooking quinoa is the rinsing. This is not a fussy step, but a required one: quinoa is naturally coated with a bitter substance, saponin (it’s thought to keep away birds and animals). Most quinoa has been "desaponized." However, it's still a good idea to rinse it under running water in a fine-mesh strainer before cooking to remove any remaining residue.

And now, more good news: quinoa seeds contain twice the protein of rice, though it's the quality of the protein that stands out. With all nine essential amino acids, including lysine, quinoa is considered a complete protein.

It’s rich in both vitamin B2 (riboflavin), magnesium, B6 and E, and also has high levels of iron and zinc. There’s more: it’s also a good source of dietary fiber, packing 5.2 grams per 1 cup serving. What a food! I’ll be sharing more quinoa recipes, soon; I have some dessert ideas in mind…

As for the other night, I settled on a batch of quinoa burgers. This is an adaptation of a recipe from Martha Stewart's Body + Soul magazine. I've been enamored of quinoa since I first tried it a few years ago, and when I saw this recipe a while back, I knew I had to try it. It's been worth preparing several times over. Enjoy!




Quinoa Burgers with Hummus & Roasted Red Peppers

1/2 cup quinoa, well-rinsed under cold water
1 medium carrot, cut in large chunks
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 15-ounce can white beans (e.g. cannellini or great northern beans), drained and rinsed
1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten (or 1/4 cup silken tofu for a vegan burger)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil

4 whole grain or regular hamburger buns
Accompaniments: purchased hummus, salad greens, jarred roasted red bell peppers

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a food processor, pulse carrot until finely chopped. Add cooked quinoa, green onions, beans, breadcrumbs, egg (or tofu), cumin, salt, and pepper. Pulse until just blended (and still slightly chunky).

Form mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick). If too soft, refrigerate 15 minutes to firm.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Cook burgers until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes per side.

Toast the buns and spread with some of the hummus. Top with the burgers, greens and red bell peppers. Makes 4 hearty burgers.

Nutrition per serving (1 burger, 1 bun, 2 tablespoons hummus):
Calories 272; Fat 5.7g (poly 1.8g, mono 1.5g, sat 0.8g); Protein 17.3g; Cholesterol 9mg; Carbohydrate 18.6g; Sodium 232mg; Fiber 8.8g)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Goat Cheese Panna Cotta with Roasted Peppered Plums

Happy Friday, everyone!

It's finally cooling down here, which means I'm starting to get that cozy fall feeling (even though I am wearing a tank top as I write--by "cool" I mean mid-eighties). The days of berries and sweet summer corn have faded, and in their place are some of my favorite fruits and vegetables of all, from stone fruits to winter squash; all are blissfully blog-worthy.

First up, plums.

I am a champion of plums because I know how opulent their flavor can be. The knowledge stems from a simple circumstance: I grew up with a plum tree in my backyard. Said tree produced exquisitely delicious fruit, the skins tart, the sweet flesh beneath, lush.

But to my family’s chagrin (most notably my mother’s), the plums came all at once (in about a 2-week period), so despite stuffing ourselves silly with fresh plums morning, noon, and night, my mother had to crank into uber-creative plum mode to use up the bounty before the gorgeous globes rotted in the grass.

Hence she made jars of plum jam by the dozen, plum cake, plum pie, plum crumble, plum clafouti, plum jell-o, plum salads (slices of fresh plum are smashing with spicy greens like arugula), even a few batches of plum chutney. In the process, she also inspired me to consider plums in a wide range of culinary uses.

I don’t have a plum tree of my own here in Texas, but I do have a simple remedy for anemic supermarket plums, one that will have you filling your basket to overflowing with plums once you give it a try: oven-roasting. A quick roasting (crank up that heat!) transforms supermarket plums (even the rock-hard ones) to tender, sweet-tart perfection.

The pairing of plums with goat cheese panna cotta comes straight from my Panna Cotta book, with an Enlightened adaptation: I’ve replaced the heavy whipping cream with whole milk and a scoop of light sour cream. I think it is, perhaps, even better than the full-fat original.

Beyond panna cotta, the roasted plums can be paired with just about anything you choose.

I've provided a list below for getting started,but I fully expect you to come up with your own combinations—you’ll be inspired at first bite.


Plum Nutrition Notes:

Though only 36 calories per medium plum, these beautiful fruits are packed with some significant nutrition. They are a good source of vitamin C, and also vitamin A, potassium, and dietary fiber. Plums have come under the scientific lens more recently, revelaing some additonal nutrition news: it turns out that plums have a high content of unique phytonutrients called neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acid. These substances are classified as phenols, a variety of antioxidants. Plum dandy!

Roasted Peppered Plums

2 pounds medium-size plums, cut into wedges, pits removed
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl combine plums with brown sugar and pepper. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet (line with foil for east cleanup). Roast until plums are soft and juice is bubbling, about 16-18 minutes. Remove from oven. Transfer plums and their juices to large bowl. Cool completely; optional chill in refrigerator.
Makes about 1 and 1/2 cups,

Goat Cheese Panna Cotta with Roasted Peppered Plums
As I’ve noted below, you can substitute vanilla extract for the vanilla bean. If doing so, stir in the extract along with the goat cheese.

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
1 and 1/4 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
6 ounces soft, mild goat cheese
1 and 1/4 cups reduced-fat sour cream
1 recipe roasted peppered plums (see recipe above), cooled

Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Bring milk, vanilla bean, and powdered sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove pan from heat; remove vanilla bean and, with tip of knife, scrape seeds into milk mixture (discard bean).

Whisk in gelatin mixture and goat cheese until smooth. Whisk in sour cream until well combined. Divide mixture evenly among 8 (6-ounce) custard cups. Cover and refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.

Loosen edges of custards with a knife or rubber spatulaa. Place a dessert plate, upside down, on top of each cup; invert onto plates. Serve with the cooled roasted plums. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition per Serving (1 panna cotta and 1/8 of the plums)Calories 219; Fat 7.7g (poly 0.5g, mono 2.3g, sat 4.4g); Protein 6.7g; Cholesterol 34mg; Carbohydrate 30.3g; Sodium 89mg; Fiber: 2.9)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

More ways to enjoy the roasted plums:
*vanilla light ice cream
*lightly sugared biscuits and a dollop of whipped cream for a seasonal shortcake
*chocolate sorbet (trust me on this one, it's exquisite)
*sweetened ricotta cream (if you haven’t made this before, make it now; I am a fan of Ellie Krieger's recipe. It's so healthy and good, you can eat it for breakfast too)
*vanilla panna cotta (here's my basic recipe for a lightened panna cotta; make it in a cup, spoon the plums atop when it's set)
*a creamy goat cheese or blue cheese and grilled baguette slices for a sweet-savory dessert (it's embarassing how much I can eat of this combination)

Or for breakfast:
*Spoon atop oatmeal (or other multi-grain cereal) along with some toasted nuts and a dollop of yogurt
*Swirl into lightly sweetened plain yogurt ( a pinch of cardamom in the yogurt takes it over the top)
*Puree the plums and thier juices in blender and serve as a delectable syrup with pancakes, waffles, french toast, etc. YUMMY!!!

Or at the dinner table:
*Serve alongside chicken or pork (especially good with grilled)
*Puree in a blender and use as the basis for a sweet-tart vinaigrette

Popcorn for Dinner?

They say that man cannot live by bread alone, but as far I know, they’ve never said anything about a woman and popcorn.

And if I’m to be perfectly honest with you readers, I confess I could easily forgo a majority of meals so long as I had an ample supply of popcorn on hand. (Add some yogurt to the equation, and I’d be all set.)

I know, not the most healthful of options—I'm still holding out for a revelatory headline of the nutritional benefits of popcorn. I’m not expecting the hulls to cure cancer or the puffs to prolong life; but some anti-aging effects, or perhaps the ability to zap blemishes and banish bloating would suit me fine.

Until then, I'll keep eating popcorn as edible entertainment. It is one of the most comforting snacks, and pre-butter, is at least relatively benign on the nutritional front. More importantly, it's delicious. Freshly popped, it always cheers me. And as I’ve learned from many years of popping and eating the fluffy kernels, popcorn does not have to be hot from the popper to be enjoyed. So long as it’s not overloaded with butter (not that I have anything against the occasional butter-laden bowl...or two), it stores very well, and travels even better.

Now before I get to the recipe, let me stand on my soapbox and make a plea: nix the ready-made microwave stuff. I’m rarely a purist on issues of food, but popcorn is an exception. It’s overpriced, overly salty, and contains a nasty chemical, diacetyl, that's related to lung disease. Yuck.

No need to banish the microwave method. Alton Brown and others have figured out how to make your own microwave popcorn, sans chemicals, and it works like a charm. I have a sentimental attachment to the air-popper I purchased my first year of graduate school, so I use it most often, but I’m charmed by the brown paper bag method for its cleverness and frugality.

And now, the spice, specifically the cinnamon (& cayenne) spiced sweet & salty popcorn. If for some reason you are not a sweet-salty person, well…I suppose we can still be friends, but you’re going to need to work on your affliction. I think this popcorn will steer you in the right direction.

Cinnamon-Sugar Popcorn (with a Cayenne Kick)

8 cups air-popped popcorn (popped in airpopper)
Butter-flavored or regular cooking spray
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Place popcorn in a large bowl. Lightly coat popcorn with cooking spray; toss well. Repeat the spraying and tossing one more time.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne in a small bowl. Drizzle popcorn with melted butter; toss well. Sprinkle with sugar mixture; toss well to coat. Makes 8 1-cup servings

Nutrition per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 61; Fat 1.3g (poly 0.1g, mono 0.7g, sat 0.6g); Protein 0.5g; Cholesterol 3mg; Carbohydrate 4.8g; Sodium 81mg; Fiber: 0.7)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)