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Breakfast Oatmeal Bars

10/21/2015

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Peanut Butter and Banana Breakfast Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips are delicious.

They are also super easy to make. They have been a go-to favorite of mine for the past couple of years. There are different ways to approach building your bar. I tend to opt for honey as a sweetener (in addition to making sure my bananas are pretty ripe, the semi-sweet chocolate chips help as well :-D), prefer chunky over smooth (all-natural) peanut butter, use non-dairy milk, am liberal with cinnamon (which helps if there is no vanilla in sight) and I also skip the eggs. Everything still turns out fabulously delicious.

Sally's Baking Addiction has an easy-to-follow recipe for the bars. Definitely try it out! Your stomach will thank you.

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When you're missing garden egg stew.

10/19/2015

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When you're missing garden egg stew, a delicious eggplant (aubergine) dish from West Africa, you go to drastic measures to attempt to recreate it with whatever you have on-hand.

Garden Egg stew is one of my favorite dishes. I eat it religiously in Ghana. One of the best preparations is at Bar Naas/NW9 -- a hip and contemporary African restaurant based in Kumasi in Nhyieso, that offers a variety of cuisine ranging from garden egg stew (of course), to shawarma, to pizza to fish n' chips (yum) and more.

​Equipped with Italian eggplant, anchovies, sardines, fresh tomatoes, onions, olive oil and a variety of seasonings (i.e., salt, pepper, dried pepper flakes and nutmeg) and some inspiration from TimeOut.com, I set out to satisfy my deep craving for garden egg stew. What happened was nothing short of a miracle. While clearly not garden egg stew, this poor (wo)man's rendition was quite tasty.

Here's what I did:
  1. Fried the onions and some of the seasoning in olive oil.
  2. Cleaned then chopped up the eggplant, adding it to the onions.
  3. While the onions and eggplant simmered on low heat, I cleaned and chopped up the tomatoes. I then blended them before adding them to the pan with the onions and eggplant.
  4. I added a bit of water and more seasoning and continued to let the mixture simmer.
  5. After a few minutes, I added in both the sardines and anchovies.
  6. I continued to let the mixture simmer, and seasoned as-needed.
  7. Then, I ate and really, really enjoyed it!

For roughly 3 servings, 1 onion, 2-3 tomatoes, 1 small tin of sardines, 1 small tin of anchovies and 1 Italian eggplant are plenty.

It was so nice that I only got to eat it twice.


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I couldn't wait to devour this!
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I paired my eggplant stew with steamed baby spinach, kale and mushrooms.
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I can't believe it's nut butter!

1/24/2015

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I devour peanut butter...maybe even live off of it. You, too?

I recently came to the realization that I probably spend more money on peanut butter than any other food item. [I may or may not 'drink' my peanut butter, but that is besides the point.] I started wondering what it would take to make my own nut butter. After some consultations with gurus (my dad and google), I began the adventure. The directions I followed from Megan at Detoxinista gave fair warning that patience is a requirement. She was so right.

Because this was an experiment, I didn't want to make too much nut butter. The nut I went with (partially because I did not have peanuts on hand) was almond. I took close to two handfuls of raw almonds and threw them into the blender. I was on a high for the first few minutes. The nuts were breaking down well, my blender was chopping, dicing and shredding like a pro. But then, when the consistency was like a very grainy flour, the nut 'flour' started sticking to the sides of the blender! I reluctantly stopped the blender, scraped the sides and then continued. I started the blender back on and in a matter of seconds, the same thing happened. Still reluctant, I stopped the blender, scraped the sides, then turned it back on.

This. kept. happening. over. and. over. and. over. and. over. and...during this time, I wondered about many things, including how the insta-peanut butter machines in Whole Foods work and how I could get one.

After I started and stopped the blender a dozen times, I decided to increase the speed of the blender. My rationale was that a faster speed would get more done given my relegation to brief bursts to mix the almonds.  I ended up increasing the speed one or two more times before the butter started forming.

Once it did, I was super excited! The two handfuls of almonds yielded roughly two tablespoons of rich, creamy almond butter. As great as it is (and tastes), I'm not sure that the solid thirty minutes of stop-and-go blending have convinced me to completely go homemade with my nut butters, but it does feel rewarding!

You can check out the instructions by Megan at Detoxinista below.

From Detoxinista...Megan's pictures are waaay better than mine and she has great almond butter-making tips.

Instructions
  1. Place the almonds in a food processor fitted with an "S" blade. Secure the lid and allow to process for 20-30 minutes, stopping and scraping down the sides as needed throughout the process.
  2. The almond butter is ready with the oils have released and the resulting butter is very smooth and creamy-- this takes more time than you'd expect, so be patient!
  3. Transfer the almond butter to a sealed glass jar, and store in the fridge for best shelf life.
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Egyptian Baked Rice (Your Taste Buds Will Thank You!)

1/2/2015

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I did not know I was missing out on life until I tried Egyptian baked rice. Over the holidays, my sister, an aunt and I visited our 'extended' Egyptian family and were treated to some delicious cuisine. The meal included Egyptian baked rice.

We loved it so much that we had to try it out ourselves! The following day, we gathered together the ingredients and got to work. [It was super simple.] Knowing that we may ingest quite a bit, we opted for coconut milk instead of 'regular' milk. What was the result? Absolute deliciousness that was a cross between a dessert and a central carbohydrate for a savory meal.

Apparently, there is a Guyunese dish that is terribly similar to the baked rice with coconut milk. Their variation includes black eyed peas. Don't worry...E and I will try this out soon!
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Deliciousness in a bowl!

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Yes! We totally devoured it!

Here is a recipe, courtesy of Bram Cookware.
[NB: Instead of a Bram, we used a deep dish aluminum foil oven pan. We used Jasmine rice, which turned out nicely; we maintained the 1:2 (rice to milk) ratio; and opted for less butter (just enough delicate flakes to evenly distribute across the top). Baking time should be adjusted for yield.]

***

Yield:  generously serves 4
Prep Time:  10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

This is a very traditional Egyptian rice dish that’s super easy to make and very good. It’s always cooked in a bram, an open casserole with high sides. It has a slightly creamy texture and can accompany any dish you’d normally serve with plain white rice. In Egypt, they use very generous amounts of ground black pepper over the top before putting it in the oven.
 
Pot
1½ to 2 qt. bram (see notes)

Ingredients
2 cups sushi or short grain rice (see notes)
4 cups whole milk
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
Freshly ground black pepper to taste


Preparation
Preheat oven to 385º F.

Place rice and milk in pot. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt and stir. Distribute butter in thin shavings over surface. Top with generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Place on baking sheet as safeguard from spills. Bake for about 1 hour, checking after 30 minutes to make sure it is not bubbling over. Rice is done when you see a rich golden brown crust.

Notes
BRAM: This recipe is sized for our medium brams. If using a smaller or larger size, simply adjust the recipe accordingly. The ratio is one part rice to two parts milk. The ingredients should fill most of the pot before cooking, coming up to about 1 inch below the top of the pot.

RICE: In Egypt, this recipe is made with their traditional short grain rice that is very similar to sushi rice. This Japanese short grain rice is widely available in stores and works best to give you authentic results and a creamy texture. You can substitute it for medium or long grain rice such as basmati or jasmine, but expect a less creamy and much drier texture. Either way is good.
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Homemade Cheez-its

12/30/2014

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A few weeks ago, I came across a homemade cheez-its recipe on Yahoo! and could not resist. I immediately emailed my co-chef (ahem...my sister) and we began plotting our approach.

It took three separate trips to the grocery store to make these. [Nice to know that some stores observe the holidays. And, who knew baking powder was so in demand?!] While our crackers do not look as brilliant as those in the Yahoo! article, they were perfectly crunchy, cheesy, salty and tasty.


Here is the recipe from Yahoo!

Home-made Cheez-its!

Makes about 5 cups of crackers

2 cups (9 ounces) all-purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
7 1/2 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) finely grated sharp cheddar
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and cheese and pulse until very well combined. Add 2 tablespoons water and pulse until the dough is just wet enough to hold together when squeezed. Add up to 2 tablespoons more water if necessary.
  2. Divide the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap. Press each half of dough into a flat square, wrap well, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Working with one square at a time, roll the dough out to a scant 1/8-inch thick. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut the dough into 3/4 inch-wide strips. Then cut the dough in the other direction to make 3/4-inch squares. Use the flat end of a wooden skewer to poke a hole in the center of each square. Freeze the dough until firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  4. Brush half a sheet with the egg white and sprinkle with salt. Use an offset spatula to gently break the egg washed dough apart and place the squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until puffed and set and browned on the bottom, about 14 to 16 minutes. (Make sure to cook them well so that the finished crackers are crisp. Completely frozen dough may take a few extra minutes to bake.) Transfer the parchment with the baked crackers onto a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining frozen crackers. Store the cooled crackers in an airtight container.
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Kringle in July

12/29/2014

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Wanting to try something exotic (yes, Eastern European treats are exotic to Africans), my sister and I decided to try and make kringle. This was back in the summer of 2014. Kringle is essentially like a braided cinnamon roll but less sweet. Ignoring the fact that neither my dad, sister or myself are bread-makers, my sister and I felt that _braided_ bread would not be a problem. How wrong we were! I should have recognized the warning when my sister and I googled what to do when dough doesn't rise despite adding yeast.

The dough was a bit too wet. Braiding the dough ended up being a comical feat. My sister was essentially rolling on the floor laughing at my attempts to braid and maintain the circular shape of the kringle loaf. Being an octopus at that time would have been super convenient. The extra arms would have come in handy.

Despite the challenges, the loaves we baked did taste good!

If any of you do attempt to make kringle, aim for your dough to be more dry and consider halving the recipe!

Our Kringle didn't turn out very well...so, no pictures.

Here is the recipe, courtesy of Food52
[A nifty converter]

Makes 1 loaf

For the dough:

  • 250milliliters whole milk
  • 75grams unsalted butter
  • 450grams white bread flour
  • 70grams sugar
  • 1/2teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 10green cardamon pods
  • 7grams instant yeast (1 packet)
  • 1large egg
For the filling:

  • 60grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 40grams brown sugar
  • 2teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4teaspoon fine sea salt
  1. Put the milk and butter for the dough into a small pan and heat over medium until the butter has melted, then turn up and bring to the boil and scald. Pour into a bowl and pop into the fridge to cool, which may take some time.
  2. Crush the cardamon pods with the side of a knife and remove the seeds, then finely grind the seeds.
  3. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cardamon in a mixer bowl and stir. Add the yeast and stir to combine. Beat the egg lightly in a bowl. Then, once the milk in the refrigerator has cooled to body temperature, add it to the bowl along with the egg. Stir until you have a shaggy dough.
  4. Put the bowl on a stand mixer and knead with the dough hook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the dough comes away from the sides and passes the windowpane test. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise for roughly 45 to 75 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size. (You can also leave it in the fridge overnight.)
  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 16 x 12-inch (30 x 40-centimeter) rectangle. Beat the soft butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt together with a spoon. Spread the mixture all over the dough.
  6. Roll the dough up from the long side, then use a serrated knife to split it in half lengthways. Transfer to a sheet of baking parchment.
  7. Weave the two strands together with the cut side up. Bring the ends together, then weave together to make a ring and press the two loose ends together.
  8. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for about 30 minutes until puffy -- if you press it with a finger, it should make a dent. (You can also place into the fridge overnight to rise slowly -- take out to warm up ten minutes before baking.)
  9. While it rises, preheat the oven to 350° F (180 °C). Use the parchment to shift the ring onto a tray.
  10. Put into the oven and bake for ten minutes, then reduce the temperature to 320° F (160° C). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes more until the ring has risen, turned a deep brown, and sounds hollow when knocked.
  11. Remove to a wire rack to cool. The kringle is best eaten the day it is baked, but it toasts and freezes well if you happen to resist consuming the whole thing in one sitting.
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    Besides enjoying 'good eats', my sister and I attempt to recreate dishes we have enjoyed elsewhere. Friends sometimes join us in the trial and error. Some attempts are more successful than others.

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