An actual disaster. Oh my.

I just thought you should know, yesterday was an unmitigated disaster in the kitchen.  I tried making custard-filled meringues, and I learned (too late) that you can make neither custard nor meringue with honey instead of white sugar.  Some recipe substitutions just don't translate from dry to wet ingredients.

And no, I won't be posting any pictures.  The custard tasted fine but never thickened; the meringues were so thin and liquid that I never even tried baking them.

Next time I will do better!

(Sometimes they have bad days.  Even in Australia.)

RECIPE: Simple Potato Wedges

There's nothing simpler than making your own potato wedges.  In fact, baked potato wedges are a fast and dead-easy way of introducing a healthy dose of starch into your diet, with none of the grease and MSG and other additives that make fast food a documentary-worthy vice.

You also have to hold this recipe fairly loosely in terms of proportions--every potato is a different size, and only you know how many wedges will satisfy you (and your family or guests), and how much seasoning you like.

The basic ingredients are as follows:

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes, sliced

Herbs, to taste

Salt & pepper, to taste

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese

As for my own personal preferences:

I like russet potatoes well enough, but Aldi was selling butter golds for cheap when I was last there, and I've discovered a new love in life.  Butter golds are really and truly--and naturally--buttery tasting.  They don't crisp up as much as your russet, but the flavor is delightful.

As far as seasonings go, I'm a fan of adding a little garlic (powder or fresh), a little paprika, summer savory or thyme, and rosemary.  There are endless ways you can spice up your wedges, but I have found the combination that works for me (for 6 of my little butter golds, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon savory, and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary).

DIRECTIONS

The trick to good wedges is to get your oven well and truly hot--between 400 and 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Throw all of the ingredients into a ziploc bag.  (For my six butter golds, I add a 1/3 cup parmesan and a healthy drizzle of olive oil.)  Zip the bag shut and shake it around until the seasonings are evenly distributed, then pour the contents out onto a foil-covered baking sheet, making sure they're not crowded together.

Bake until tender and golden-brown, somewhere between 25 and 40 minutes depending on the type of potato and oven temperature.  I recommend checking the wedges at around 25 minutes, and if they're not done, flipping them and adding another 10 minutes to the clock. 

Baked wedges things are always a bit unpredictable, but they are always delicious.  So long as they don't burn and they're not over-seasoned in jalapeno flakes, it's almost impossible to ruin them.  Enjoy!

RECIPE: Scalloped Turnips

Turnips are one of those vegetables I never felt tempted to try.  That being said, I kind of made a promise to myself on starting this new diet that I would be adventurous--and try everything listed on the "best veggies" list.  I haven't yet found a use for kale that I think I can tolerate, but here's one way to make turnips palatable!

RECIPE: Scalloped Turnips

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 medium-large turnips, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons cornstarch

freshly ground salt & black pepper, to taste

1 cup milk (or cream, or [preferably] a mixture of the two)

1 cup shredded cheese*

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter a 8" by 8" glass casserole dish.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan and sauté the sliced onions until they begin to wilt.

Layer the sliced turnips in the casserole dish and top with a third of the onions.  Sprinkle liberally with cornstarch, salt and pepper, and pat with dollops from 1 tablespoon of butter.  Repeat until you have run out of ingredients.

Pour the milk/cream over the turnips, and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the casserole. 

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 30 to 45 minutes--or until the cheese is turning a nice golden brown, and bubbling.

* NOTE: I used a fiesta mix, but cheddar or even parmesan would work, depending on your tastes.

VERDICT: This is actually a fairly tasty dish.  Now, I tend to think anything cooked with cheese is pretty excellent, but this is actually quite good.  The turnips are a milder flavor once cooked, so add to rather than detract from the cheese-loving extravaganza.



 

 

 

 

 

RECIPE: Flourless, Sugarless Brownies?

How is that even possible, you ask?

My answer is simple: black beans.

Black turtle beans are, in many ways, a miraculous little legume.  They are full of antioxidants, protein, fiber, and phytonutrients.  They can also lower your risk for developing colon cancer and type II diabetes, by some reports. 

Now that I've plugged black beans, I think it's only fair to say that I don't particularly like them.  That is, I'm not a huge fan of beans in general, unless they're processed out of recognition--and, as you know, I'm kicking the processed foods while on this crazy diet of mine.  Black beans, and legumes in general, are high on the list of healthy foods I'm supposed to eat, so I figured I'd try to knock out two birds with one stone.  That is, I have been really, really, intensely craving chocolate--and pretty much anything chocolatey comes with a heavy dose of off-limits processed sugar.

Then I came across black bean brownies.  BLACK BEAN BROWNIES?

I know, it sounds crazy.  But I was craving chocolate so much that I decided 'crazy' wasn't out of my reach.  So I whipped out my black beans, soaked the bejesus out of them, and got ready to make some delicious chocolatey goodness (that also happens to be superbly healthy)!

RECIPE: Flourless & Sugar-free Black Bean Brownies

INGREDIENTS

15 ounces black beans
     (drained and rinsed if canned, or soaked overnight and cooked for 1 hour if raw)
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and oil a 8" by 8" glass baking dish.

Pour your black beans into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the beans are smooth and creamy.*  If you like more texture to your brownies, simply process them until they're the desired consistency.  Whatever the beans look like in the processor is how they'll look when the brownies are cooked, so keep that in mind as you're putting together your ingredients.

Add the rest of your ingredients and process until smooth.  Pour the batter into your prepared pan and pop into the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Let cool before cutting into 2-inch pieces and serving.

VERDICT: These brownies are delicious!  I would never have known they were made with beans if I hadn't made them myself.  They are about twice as filling as regular brownies, too, and leave you without the heavy, sickly feeling that overly-rich brownies can.  You can mix chocolate chips into the batter if you're not steering clear of sugar, for an extra chocolatey kick.

*A (long) note on beans:
I always use dried/raw beans, not the canned variety.  I'm sure canned beans are much simpler to deal with, as they're already tender when you dump them out of a can, but I'm a traditionalist that way.  Besides, it's easier to control what preservatives and extra ingredients go into your food if you start with the true-blue basics.  It can be difficult to find canned beans without high fructose corn syrup in them, among other things.  So I use "real" beans, soaking them overnight and then rinsing them well, then cooking them in more water for between one and two hours and draining them again.  You can skip this pre-cook process if you like (and I have done), as the beans retain more nutrients if you don't pre-cook them, but the resulting brownies have more "texture" that some may find distracts from the brownie experience.  Really, it's up to you.  I like the brownies either way ....

 

 

RECIPE: Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

One of the greatest challenges for me in beginning the Body Chemistry Diet is to find enough recipes featuring a limited number of fresh ingredients that taste good.  I like to eat, but I really, really don't like to eat food that doesn't taste scrumptious.  Problematically, the list of acceptable vegetables is more than half made up of things I've never tried before.  Rutabaga?  Jicama?  Really?! 

It's not that the proponents of this diet are intentionally trying to make the process of cooking and eating a tasty meal difficult.  Truly good, healthy food just happens to be hard to acquire.  A diverse diet is even harder to manage.

Luckily for me, I was raised to eat whatever was on my plate (thank you, Mom!).  I don't mind trying new things, especially when said "new things" fit under the category of "things I can photograph and blog about."  Thus, my last trip to Wally World saw me picking up a couple more items to check off of the list: radishes, turnips, and Brussels sprouts.

Now, the only time I've ever consumed Brussels sprouts has been as a topping on salads I didn't select myself and couldn't inconspicuously dispose of politely in company.  It's not that I hate the taste ... but they always seemed to get stuck in my teeth.  I don't need that, and nobody else wants to look at me with a big clump of green hanging out between my front chompers.

I did, however, recently see a delectable-looking recipe for oven-roasted Brussels sprouts on a food blog that I follow (The Garden of Eating), and Martha Stewart featured a similar recipe on her Thanksgiving special.  How could I resist?  I made a few alterations to TGoE's recipe, meaning I substituted sprouted-grain Ezekiel bread for the breadcrumbs, upped the garlic a little, and left off the pepper (which is unnecessary, really).  The end result was a surprisingly buttery, delicious treat that you can really sink your teeth into--without spoiling your waistline.

I approve!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound (or one sizable package) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh Ezekiel-bread-crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Foil the bottom of a baking sheet or, if you lack foil, pull out the cooking spray and give it a light dusting.  Place the halved Brussels sprouts in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil, shaking to coat them evenly, and then spread them out, cut-side-down, on the foiled baking sheet. 

Roast for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees, checking occasionally to make sure they're cooking evenly, until the sprouts are tender when stabbed with a fork and browning slightly.

While the sprouts are baking, grab a small saucepan and melt the butter.  Add the garlic to the butter when hot, and saute lightly for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the breadcrumbs and parmesan, mixing evenly.

Remove the sprouts from the oven and sprinkle the breadcrumb & cheese mixture over them.  Return the sprouts to the oven and cook for another 6 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are turning golden.

Serve warm.

VERDICT: I found this recipe delectable, and even my skeptical housemate was won over by their melt-in-your-mouth buttery goodness.  There was no ugly drama of sprouts stuck in teeth, even!  I will probably never eat them any other way, now.

RECIPE: Maple Walnut Whipped Sweet Potato

I apologize for not having blogged over the last week.  Thanksgiving, you know?  Things just got away from me.  I was planning on blogging about my adventures in the kitchen over the holiday, but it turned out that I wasn't much wanted/needed in the kitchen since my sister was so on top of things.  She personally brined a turkey straight into heaven, and had most of the sides and desserts ready even before we drove into town.  I would love to blog about her creative and fantastic foods, but I wouldn't know where to begin.  I'll let her win you over herself, supposing you're friends with her on Facebook.

It's so funny to think of Facebook now, all these months after quitting.  My finger doesn't automatically twitch over to the Facebook button on Symbaloo anymore.  I think I must be recovering!  I'm plenty busy with cooking, sleeping, and generally surviving to worry about missing everyone's what-I-had-for-breakfast status updates.

Ah!  But you didn't come to this blog to hear about my life.  You came to this blog to find out about my maple walnut whipped sweet potatoes!

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I returned home from Alabama to discover I had very little food in the house save for sweet potatoes and fish.  Now, I love fish.  I adore fish.  There is, however, only so many ways to prepare fish without boring my blog audience.  I will find some new ways to prepare the sea's bounty before talking more about them. 

My sister had made this fabulous sweet potato casserole with brown sugar and pecans, but as you well know, sugar is a definite no-no on the Body Chemistry Diet.  Besides, I think sweet potatoes are quite sweet enough without that delectable nonsense of a crunchy topping.

My dilemma, then, was to capture the same spirit of the sweet potato, without all of the sugar.  I made this up on the spot, and it is quite simple, but I feel this recipe does justice to the materials I had on hand.

Maple Walnut Whipped Sweet Potato Confection of Goodness

INGREDIENTS

1 whole large sweet potato

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 cup sweet white wine (optional), like a Moscato

2 tablespoons maple syrup (for the potato mixture)

1/2 to 2/3 cup whole walnuts

2 tablespoons maple syrup (for the walnuts)

DIRECTIONS

Bake the potato until very soft, about 7 minutes in the microwave (on high)*.  Make sure to stab it with a fork a couple of times and wrap it in paper towel before putting it in the microwave, and be very careful when removing it--or you will learn the true origin of the game, "hot potato."  (I'm serious.  You could really burn yourself.)  Test the potato with a fork.  Once the potato is soft all the way through, cut it in half and scoop the flesh out of the skin.

Put the sweet potato in a medium sauce pan and add the olive oil and white wine, mixing with a fork.  Turn the stove to medium-low heat and stir in the milk, vanilla, and maple syrup.  Use the fork to crush lumps of sweet potato against the side of the sauce pan, for a more even and creamy texture.  Heat until the mixture is smooth and bubbling, then remove from the heat.  Beat the mixture rapidly with your fork until it begins to look whipped.  Alternatively, you can use an immersion (stick) blender to do this for you.

While the sweet potato mixture is cooking, heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Pour your remaining maple syrup over the walnuts and turn so that they are evenly coated, then lay them out on a small, foil-covered baking sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until the syrup has caramelized but not burned--keep a close eye on the walnuts to ensure that they do not get to that point.

Once the walnuts are toasted, remove them from the oven and let cool until they are easy to handle.  I bundled them up in the foil and stuck them in the freezer for around 5 minutes, then took them out.  Remove the walnuts from the foil and add to the sweet potato mixture, stirring to combine.

Serve warm!

VERDICT: I felt like I was having dessert, this was so delicious, but it actually served as a relatively healthy main course.  It was far from being overly sweet, as sweet potato casseroles often are.  The walnuts add a delightful crunch to the creamy sweet potato, and add another little distinction from the standard pecans they are often paired with--but pecans would work in this recipe if you did not have any walnuts on hand.  By leaving out cinnamon and other spices, the sweet potato really asserts its natural, complex flavor here.  (This also has the added benefit of being gluten free!)  Housemate J gave her cute face of approval when I showed her the final product.



Grinding Sprouted Wheat - an actual near disaster

As I mentioned a few blogs ago, I have undertaken the sprouting & grinding of my own wheat for flour, to meet the requirements of the Body Chemistry Diet that I am undertaking with my housemate.  There are three major steps to the process: sprouting, dehydrating, and grinding.  The sprouting element is the most lengthy one, and after that the dehydrating adds another day to the process--as, to grind the wheat berries they have to be completely dried out--while the grinding itself is fairly simple but potentially difficult.

The first time I undertook this sprouting-drying-grinding adventure, the flour turned out coarse but usable enough.  Drama arose when the cookies all melded into one giant pan-sized cookie.  The problem was that, in order to make the peanut butter cookie recipe we were after, we had to substitute honey for sugar--and in so doing, we doomed our cookies to excessive runny-ness.  We couldn't add more sprouted-grain flour ... because we didn't have any more.  The cookies tasted fine, but I won't be posting the recipe until I can find a way to make them look palatable (and cookie-ish).  We enjoyed them with full glasses of milk and a few episodes of Castle, our current TV-show obsession.  (I mean, come on!  A writer and a cop team up to tackle crazy crimes?  It's like NCIS, but with a literary nerd bent!)

Tonight we ground some more flour, about a cup worth.  Actually, we quadruple-ground the berries this time, producing a much, much finer texture.  I'm eying the potential of a small cinnamon-roll bake thing.  We'll see if I end up going that direction-or end up making muffins.