Whole Wheat Banana Breakfast Cake

I love banana bread and banana cake. This is a lovely whole wheat breakfast version that is super moist and perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning. I'm also thinking these would make delicious muffins.

Whole Wheat Banana Breakfast Cake

2 c white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey or agave
2 eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mashed ripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients together. In a separate large bowl, beat together butter, applesauce, honey, eggs, Greek yogurt and vanilla until smooth (a hand mixer is nice here). Add dry ingredients and mashed bananas and mix by hand until just moistened; do not over mix. Pour in a greased 8x8 cake pan and bake for one hour or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Part of Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Sweet Potato Fries

I've tried to make my own sweet potato fries a million times over; somehow they always turn out just like roasted sweet potatoes...which are good, but not quite the crispy fry-style I'm after! This weekend I tried out a new cooking method that turned out excellent fries; broiling them with the oven door slightly open to release steam.

First, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them them the size of super skinny french fries. Try to get them as uniform as possible (otherwise the smaller pieces burn while the larger ones are cooking). Toss them in a large bowl with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper (we'll salt them after they are cooked). Line a large sheet pan with greased foil and lay them out in a single layer. Too many on the pan and they will steam each other.

Put your oven rack on the second from the top rack. Broil the fries on high, with the oven door slightly cracked, for 15-20 minutes or until done, stirring every few minutes for even cooking. Salt and enjoy!

Part of Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Whole Wheat and Honey Cornbread

I have no idea where I got this original cornbread recipe from (it was written on a scrap of paper in my file) but I wanted to make it whole grain. Turned out delicious!

Whole Wheat and Honey Cornbread

1 c. white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 c. cornmeal
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. buttermilk
3 T honey
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until moistened; do not over mix. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Part of the Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Rustic Pesto, Shrimp and Veggie Pasta

Simple pasta with fresh, flavorful ingredients. I like to buy or make a big batch of pesto, then freeze it in ice cube trays and transfer to a freezer bag. Pesto pasta, anytime! 

Rustic Pesto, Shrimp and Veggie Pasta

1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced (use a garlic press if you have one)
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can whole black olives, cut in half
1/3 - 1/2 cup pesto, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta for 4-6 people, cooked (I used a quinoa/corn pasta, but whole wheat pasta would be delicious here as well)

Saute onion, red pepper and mushrooms in olive oil until they are cooked and just start to turn a little brown. I like to start cooking the pasta while the veggies are cooking. Add the shrimp and garlic, and cook until shrimp just turn pink; add the tomatoes, olives, pesto, pasta, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Top with some freshly grated Parmesan!

Buttery Pan Fried Apples

Easy, delicious, frugal food. I found this Pan Fried Apples recipe at The Nourishing Gourmet and was THRILLED since I had a bunch of apples left over from a Costco trip and was wondering what the heck to do with them. I ate mine by itself but I think it would also be delicious over Greek yogurt with some walnuts! Check out the recipe here.

Red Lentil, Lemon and Cumin Soup

This lentil soup (or puree) is fresh and a little spicy, and really easy to throw together on a weeknight. Since red lentils basically turn to mush if you cook them past firm, pureeing the soup is a great way to get their lovely subtle flavor without the weird texture you would otherwise get from them if you cooked them in a soup.
P.S. Sorry for the bad pic, it was a leetle too sunny when I was taking it

Red Lentil, Lemon and Cumin Soup
(adapted from all recipes)

4 cups chicken stock (add more if you want the soup thinner)
1 pound red lentils
olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin (I add a little extra, because I love the smoky flavor of cumin)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice from two lemons 

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until slightly brown. Add garlic and cook just until garlic turns brown.

Put everything except lemon and cilantro in a large soup pot and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  

Puree the soup in a standing blender, or with a stick blender until smooth. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice before serving. 

This recipe is a part of Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Cookbook Review: Simply in Season

I love, love this cookbook. I actually bought it a long time ago but have only recently started to appreciate its full usefulness now that I am eating a ton more fruits and vegetables. The preface says "Simply in Season is a community cookbook about good food; foods that are fresh, nutritious, tasty and in rhythm with the seasons. Whether they come from a farmers' market, a CSA subscription farm, or your own garden, fresh local foods are good for the earth we share. Ultimately, they nurture our spirits as well as our bodies."

I couldn't agree more. After all, isn't that what we are all looking for? Food that will not only nourish our bodies but satisfy our spirits as well?

Simply in Season starts out with a handy dandy little alphabetical guide to fruits and vegetables, with a description, selection tips, storage and handling, preparation, serving suggestions, comments and nutrients. This is so great for when you want to try out a new vegetable like kale or eggplant but have not the slightest clue what to do with them.

Then follows four sections; Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Each season has an index attached to it so you can quickly find what you are looking for. Recipes like Strawberry Brunch Souffle and Marinated Radish Salad are in the Spring season, Summer brings Greek Fennel Skillet and Summer Garden Ratatouille, Autumn has Butternut Sage Orzo and Cranberry Apple Crisp, and Winter rolls in with Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls and Maple Parsnip Soup.  There is a bonus "All Season" sections that houses dairy, dried beans, dried fruits, meats, tofu and whole grains; recipes like Whole Wheat Flax Bread and Pork Apricot Skillet.

You can purchase it here. Nope, this is not a paid review nor do I receive anything if you click and buy it (darn it!).