Korean Brown Sugar Pancakes

I discovered this browsing the internet on my phone and have had the page saved for a month now! I'd been craving something doughy and sweet for several days when I suddenly remembered this hidden gem saved. Simple, sweet, and tasty, I think I'll be making these again.

I tweaked the recipe a bit, using maple cinnamon nuts, vanilla sugar, and vanilla bean seeds in the filling. The subtle cinnamon flavor reminded me of cinnamon rolls!

Korean Brown Sugar Pancakes

Adapted from Notions and Notations of a Novice Cook

Ingredients

• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C warm water
• 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
• 1 tsp dry active yeast
• 2 tsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp chopped maple cinnamon nuts, or toasted nuts
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• Coconut oil, for frying

Method

1. In a bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, yeast, oil, and salt. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast begins to foam up. If this does not happen, dump out and begin again.
2. Stir in the flour to make a wet dough. Cover and let sit in a warm spot to rise for about an hour, until doubled in size. Punch the dough down, cover again, and allow to rest for about a half hour.
3. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, nuts, and vanilla bean seeds. Set aside.
4. Pour dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly, adding flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Cut into four evenly sized balls.
5. Take one ball of dough and flatten it in your hand. Place a heaping tablespoon of the brown sugar filling into the center of the dough, then carefully pinch the sides of the dough to the top to seal the ball. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
6. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add enough coconut oil to lightly cover the pan. Place one or two dough balls, seam side down, onto the hot pan.
7. Allow to cook and begin to brown, checking after 30 seconds. Flip, then press down with a spatula to flatten. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Flip once more, cover, and let cook for a minute to heat the center.
8. Cook the remaining dough following the same method.
9. Serve warm.

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Maple Cinnamon Candied Nuts

When I go without them for a while, I forget how much I enjoy roasted nuts. Great for snacking, adding crunch to a bowl of oatmeal or salad, these are definitely a multipurpose ingredient in my kitchen.

This recipe is so simple to make, and even better because I always have the ingredients on hand. Three cups of nuts feels like a lot, but a batch lasts me at least a couple weeks, depending on how liberally I eat them. It's just about time for me to make another batch!

Maple Cinnamon Candied Nuts

Ingredients

• 3 cups mixed raw nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, etc)
• 1/4 C maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring to incorporate the syrup and cinnamon evenly over the nuts.
3. Spray a baking sheet with oil, then pour the nuts onto the pan, spreading them evenly.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even roasting.
5. Cool and store in an airtight container.

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Warm Wilted Kale Salad with Lemon, Garlic, and Ancho Chili

I've been on a kale kick since I had my first delicious kale salad about a month ago now. Kale used to be one of those foods I wanted to like, but never found the right recipe. My success came first when I warmed up to massaged kale salads which soften the leaves and make it a little less bitter. My favorite this week is a wilted kale salad, lightly sautéed in a pan with olive oil and some spices.

This recipe, surprisingly, was my first attempt at wilted kale salad, but the flavors make kale more universally appealing. Nutritional yeast gives it a slight cheesiness while ancho chili powder gives it a bit of roasted smokiness. Feel free to sub in paprika if you don't have ancho chili powder on hand, I think it would be a nice pairing.

Wilted Kale Salad with Lemon, Garlic, and Ancho Chili

Ingredients

• 1 bunch lacinato kale, cleaned and chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• Rounded 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder or paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Method

1. In a large saute pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the kale and saute for about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and continue cooking for another minute or so until the kale begins to turn bright green.
3. Add the nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, ancho chili powder, and garlic powder to the kale, stirring to incorporate the seasoning. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
4. Serve hot.

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How to Cut an Orange

It's prime citrus season again which means specials on all kinds of oranges and grapefruits. I especially love heirloom navel oranges and they make a great snack or after meal fruit. I didn't learn there was a "good" way to slice oranges until last year, so I want to pass the favor on! It reminds me of the time I learned how to cut a pineapple....mind blowing still.

I used to cut my oranges horizontally, but then I discovered you should cut them laterally first to get the nice segments. A quick Google search popped up this great tutorial on the process: My Favorite Way to Cut an Orange. You will be an orange slicing hero in no time!

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Ruhlman's Twenty Chapter 11: Sauce

The wonderful world of pan sauces! Just reading this chapter made my mouth water and eager to make a sauce or two of my own. As wonderful and easy it is to make a quick pan sauce after cooking or roasting meats, most of the time I feel too lazy to put forth additional effort to make a sauce. I regret this fact especially after reading Ruhlman's emphasis on the subject. Sometimes getting the meat out of the pan as quickly as possible and starting the pan soaking process feels a little more urgent.

How to Create a Pan Sauce

Creating a pan sauce is a very simple process: after cooking/roasting your meats, your pan has all kinds of great flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom. This stuff is begging to be used and costs nothing to you; use it!

1. Optionally add sliced onions and/or carrots (for sweetness) and let them develop a little color.
2. Deglaze the pan with about 1 cup of water (or liquid, such as stock or wine) and bring to a boil. Use a spoon to scrape up all the bits and wait for almost all the water to cook off. At this point, add another cup of liquid.
3. Your sauce is waiting for a little something extra now, so add a splash of acid (lemon juice, vinegar, etc), maybe a little butter or cream for richness, soft herbs, just get creative!
4. Strain your sauce and you've got a fancy looking sauce for your food with minimal effort.

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Ruhlman's Twenty Chapter 10: Sugar

I realized it's been a while since my last Learning to Cook segment. This one is a very short lesson on sugar which discusses sugar's role in baked goods, frozen treats, candies, and sauces.

Lessons Learned:

• Sugar prevents crystallization in ice creams, giving it that nice, creamy texture.
• Sometimes a hint of sugar can take a sauce or dressing to the next level. Add a bit of honey to a balsamic dressing and taste the subtle difference. The same goes for BBQ sauce which often marries acidic (vinegar) with sweet (sugar).
• Compound butter is a great way to use butter as a garnish for your food, especially for meat and fish. Soften butter, then mix in aromatics such as shallot or fresh herbs, then roll in waxed or parchment paper or put into a container, then and refrigerate to re-solidify.

Related Recipes:

• Caramel Apple Pie
• Sweet and Spicy Almonds
• Jeni's Splendid Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• Chocolate Simple Syrup
• Blueberry Sorbet
• Ricotta Ice Cream
• Low Sugar Tayberry Jam
• Blueberry, Lemon, and Chili Pepper Jam

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DIY Sprouting Jar

I've been wanting to make my own sprouts after spending an insane amount on some tasty prepackaged organic ones. I finally bought the seeds months later but opted not to spend even more money on a large sprouting jar. Cost aside, where would I even store it? Sprouting jars are pretty tall, which allow you to sprout a lot at once, but the large size seems cumbersome to fit in a cupboard. So I came up with this homemade solution using two things I have in my kitchen: a leftover glass jar and an in-mug tea strainer.

The photo below shows the sprouts prior to draining during a twice a day rinse. The tea strainer is great because it allows water to easily get in and drain out.

Find a glass jar with a mouth sized appropriately for your tea strainer; I used an old pasta sauce jar. Put your sprout seeds into the jar, put the tea strainer over the mouth of the jar, then moisten, drain, sprout, and rinse your seeds per the sprout packet instructions!

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Smoothie Inspiration - Recipe Sources

I've been relying heavily on the internet this past week for some smoothie inspiration. The standard fruit smoothies are oh so uninspiring to me this time of year. How about incorporating some seasonal oranges, pears, or even beets into new drinks?

I discovered Whole Living has a bunch of great smoothie recipes online for free. And if you've got an iPad/iPod/iPhone, the app and all recipe packs are FREE to download right now! Through this app I've discovered some great new recipes incorporating things I'd never before considered using: beets, carrots, pears, apples, oranges.

I've also searched Pinterest for new and interesting smoothie combinations. This cucumber pear smoothie was quite the delicious surprise! For a larger collection, I'm definitely loving the Healthy Happy Life blog list of drinks, juices, and smoothies. I keep revisiting this list because everything sounds so great!

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Orange Cream Delight Smoothie

It's peak citrus season again and I have been enjoying those insanely delicious little satsumas while they've been on special in past weeks. Recently, oranges have been on special and I have been loving them in this smoothie as a mid-morning snack or after dinner treat.

This is what I imagine Orange Julius to taste like (are those mall food court places even still around??). A slightly slushy, creamy orange drink with a hint of vanilla.

Orange Cream Delight Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 orange, peeled
• 1 Medjool date, pitted
• 1/2 vanilla bean or 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp raw cashews or brazil nuts
• Pinch salt
• 6-8 ounces water
• 2-3 ice cubes, optional

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

The nuts and water can be substituted for your favorite nut milk. I think almond would be great in this!

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Breakfast Oats with Winter Fruit

Oatmeal gets pretty boring after a while. Sure, you can mix up the toppings, dressing it up with different dried or fresh fruits and nuts, but it's essentially the same thing morning after morning. So recently I started preparing raw oat groats at night, soaking them in water to be drained in the morning. These yield a much chewier oat than basic oatmeal and can be blended up and sweetened, sprinkled over yogurt, or served straight up with toppings.

With so many fall and winter fruits in stores, I put together this very seasonal bowl of oat groats topped with persimmon, pear, pomegranate seeds, and vegan sweet cream for an extra special touch. Feel free to sub in whatever fruits you like and have on hand.

Breakfast Oats with Winter Fruit

Ingredients

• 1/2 C raw oat groats
• 1/2 persimmon, cubed
• 1/4 pear, cubed
• 1/4 C pomegranate seeds
• 1-2 tbsp Sweet Dessert Cream

Method

1. Place oat groats in a bowl and cover with filtered water. Let sit overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the oat groats. Put oats in a bowl to serve. Top with the fruits, then drizzle with dessert cream before serving.

This would be equally good with fresh summer berries when the season arrives. Keep this recipe tucked away for summer berry season!

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Vegan Sweet Dessert Cream

I mentally tagged this recipe to use up the macadamia nuts I've had on hand in the freezer. Originally called "creme de la creme", this is a very rich and sweet cream, perfect for dipping berries or drizzling over cut fruit.

This recipe is super simple to make in the Vitamix; you'll need a high powered blender to break down the nuts and vanilla bean (if using) into a silky cream.

Vegan Sweet Dessert Cream

Adapted from The 30-Minute Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 C macadamia, cashew, and/or brazil nuts
• 1/2 C water
• Pinch salt
• 1/4 vanilla bean, or 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp agave nectar

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

Serve as dip for berries, drizzled over desserts, or spooned on oatmeal for breakfast.

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Raw Beet and Pear Salad

The first time I tried and liked beets was last fall after trying them in my CSA box. They have a nice sweet earthiness which I really enjoy from time to time. I couldn't resist this recipe by Jamie Oliver with the addition of sweet pears and tangy cheese.

Raw Beet and Pear Salad

Adapted from Cook with Jamie

Ingredients

• 1 medium beet, cut into small matchsticks
• 1 medium pear, cut into small matchsticks
• 2 tbsp feta cheese
• Lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Combine beet, pear, and feta cheese on a serving platter or individual plates.
2. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil, then season lightly with salt and pepper.

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Basic Kale Salad

Happy 2013! The health craze season is upon us which is a great time to explore new foods and try new recipes. I've been using my break to reacquaint myself with my old cookbooks and gather new recipes to try.

I so very desperately have wanted to like kale for a long time. Kale in green smoothies, kale chips, kale salad, anything kale. It's trendy, I suppose, with kale recipes popping up all the time. But as a super nutritious green, I'd like to have several go to recipes that taste phenomenal.

I had a great kale salad the other day at Veggie Grill that was so pretty and delicious, so I was inspired to try my hand again. I came across a simple rainbow kale salad in a vegan cookbook I've had for a few years. This recipe is a great stepping point into the world of kale for non-believers, I definitely recommend you give it a go. The key really is to massage the dressing into the kale for at least a minute; this will soften the leaves, giving a better texture and better flavor.

Basic Kale Salad

Adapted from The 30-Minute Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale, about 10 stalks, stems removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/2 small cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1/2 C roasted nuts, optional
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 tsp maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Combine kale, bell pepper, carrot, and cabbage in a large bowl.
2. Whisk remaining ingredients until emulsified. This will be the salad dressing.
3. Pour dressing over kale mixture. With clean hands, massage the dressing into the kale mixture for about a minute.

Serve as is as a side salad. Make a complete salad meal by tossing with leftover grains and optional protein.

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