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Blueberry Almond Cake

June 23, 2011

I’ve been combing the cookbooks lately. Not just any cookbooks, but the many I have on my own shelves. I won’t say too many, because I really don’t think I could ever have too many cookbooks.

I find that when I get one, as good as it may be, I make one or two recipes and on the shelf it goes. I have no idea why because they are all filled with a lot more than two fabulous recipes. It’s like the new updated gadget comes out, the old one gets shelved even though it’s still in perfect working condition.

So I’ve been combing through them page by page on my lunch hour at work and at home in the evenings. First, for recipes to spotlight these blueberries, and second, to look at photographs.

When I took the online CreativeLIVE Food Photography Course with Penny De Los Santos a few weeks ago, she repeatedly advised that aspiring and experienced food photographers should always be looking for inspiration. In books, in magazines, anywhere there is a food photograph, study it and use it to inspire your own ideas. That tip really stuck with me so I’ve been trying to incorporate picture study-time on a regular basis.

In the process I found an almond cake I wanted to try last year, but never got around to it. It comes from Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff which I reviewed last year. It remains one of my favorite books because while it focuses on canning it is filled with recipes for entrees and desserts as well.

So I took the cake as a guide, used my favorite sugars and flours, added a little, took a little away and ended up with this Blueberry Almond Cake.

I was incredibly happy with the result. The cake is sweet and slightly nutty and the berries add just a little tartness. It’s a bit of a cross between a dessert cake and a coffee cake. I only view that as a bonus because once again, cake for breakfast!

Blueberry Almond Cake

2015-07-02 09:10:30

Makes: 8 to 10 servings

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Ingredients

1 cup raw, unsalted almonds
¾ cup evaporated cane or raw sugar plus 1 tbsp and some for sprinkling (I use Demerara)
1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons fine ground sea salt
4 large eggs
½ teaspoon almond extract
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch spring-form pan.
In a food processor, process the almonds and 1 tablespoon of the sugar until they are finely ground, somewhat close in consistency to a coarse flour.
In a medium bowl, combine the ground almonds, flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
To the bowl of an electric mixer, add the eggs and ¾ cup of sugar. Using the whisk attachment, beat for about 3 minutes until it is light and fluffy. Mix in the almond extract.
Slowly alternate adding the butter and flour mixture, blending after each addition just until combined. The batter will be thick.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Evenly distribute the blueberries on top of the cake, gently pressing each into the batter. Sprinkle on 1 to 2 teaspoons of raw sugar.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the sides pull away from the pan. Place on a cooling rack and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the spring-form pan and cool to room temperature.

Adapted from Adapted from Rustic Almond Cake from Canning for a New Generation

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Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Farm Fresh Heirloom Tomato Omelet

June 14, 2011

Waiting.

That is the stage of gardening that we are in at the moment. The plants are in, but the only thing that seems to be growing are the weeds. Tiny peppers have emerged as well as little green tomatoes and but it feels like things are never going to ripen for picking.

Every day I make the trek out to the garden. Well, okay. It isn’t exactly a trek. It’s roughly 3 yards from our driveway, but bear with me for dramatic effect.

I trek out to the garden and look the plants over, make a loud sigh so that the plants hear me and return to the house empty handed.

Waiting.

I feel such a lack of creativity lately and I know it has a lot to do with lack of ingredients. So I had to make it to a Farmer’s Market, even if I only picked up a few things. I needed some inspiration.

We ran a 5K at a local park on Saturday and it just happened to be within walking distance of the Farmer’s Market so I set out afterward to explore. The markets in our smaller counties here only have a few tables this time of year, but there were quite a few offerings.

I came home with red potatoes, green onions, cue ball squash and a few heirloom tomatoes.

I’m trying to learn my tomatoes by sight so a played a bit of a guessing game with the vendor. I said the name with each one I picked up and I was at about a 50% accuracy rate. I have a lot to learn, but I’ve got my Purple Cherokee and Mr. Stripey down for sure.

Growing up, I wasn’t a huge tomato fan, but after finding heirloom varieties within the past couple years, I can’t get enough. I absolutely love the flavor.

I usually serve them simple with some olive oil, balsamic and a sprinkle of feta cheese, but I had the time to make a big breakfast over the weekend.

I’d just picked up a few dozen eggs from Pike Valley Farm and had some Derby cheese. So I decided to toss in those green onions I bought and a few sweet slices of the beautiful tomatoes.

I have to admit that I’m awful at making omelets. They fall into the pancake category for me as far as failure vs. success. They always taste good, but rarely turn out picture worthy. It took some extra effort and careful skillet skills, but this one wasn’t half bad in looks. With the tomatoes and the sharp cheese, the flavors were some of the best I’ve had in an omelet.

There are few things better than a farm fresh breakfast on the weekend!

Farm Fresh Heirloom Tomato Omelet Recipe from @Lori_Rice

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Farm Fresh Heirloom Tomato Omelet
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 spring onion, sliced (reserve greens for garnish)
1 medium heirloom tomato, sliced
1/3 cup crumbled Derby-style cheese

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Set aside

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add the oil or butter. Once heat/melted, add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the eggs. Allow to cook, gently scraping the sides, until it begins to firm in the middle.

Gently lay 3-4 slices of tomato on one side of the omelet and sprinkle with cheese. Use a spatula to fold over the other side. Cook for 30 to 60 more seconds to melt the cheese. Slide onto a plate and garnish with the onions.

Enough for two. You can cut one omelet in half, or cut the ingredients in half and make two omelets.

Strawberry Pecan Pancakes

May 15, 2011

Here come the strawberries! I say that with excitement and a fair amount of warning. Excitement because our fridge is overflowing with little red bites of sweetness and warning because recipes may be very strawberry-centric for a while.

See this container? Take that times about five. And that’s just within the last week with many more to come. Awesome, right?

Strawberry Pecan Pancakes | Fake Food Free

After some discussion we decided not to make jam this year. I made a ton of peach jam last year and even after giving most of it away, we still have too much. With the amount of sugar added to it, we find that we just don’t eat it that often so we think strawberry jam isn’t the way to go for us this year.

But, pancakes, ice cream, salads and bowl after bowl of fresh sliced berries? Yeah, that will work. All the extras will be frozen for use in baked goods and smoothies later this year.

Let’s start with these pancakes. They begin with a base of white whole wheat flour and ground flax seed. Strawberry puree adds the seasonal flavor and chopped pecans give you a bit of a crunch in each bite. Top with chopped fresh berries and maybe a little maple syrup and breakfast is complete.

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I do have to give my husband credit for the beautiful griddle job on these tasty cakes. I can mix up a good batter, but when it comes to actually cooking pancakes I am a destroyer. I burn them every time. So this recipe was very much a group effort complete with pugs swiping a few pieces of strawberry that fell on the floor during the process.

Strawberry Pecan Pancakes

Makes: 6 pancakes

Ingredients

1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 cup whole or 2% milk
1 tablespoon mascavo sugar
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
1/3 cup fresh strawberries, pureed
½ cup pecans, chopped
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons salt
1 cup white whole wheat flour
Virgin coconut oil for the griddle

Prep

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and sugar. Stir in the flax seed, strawberry puree and pecans. Next mix in the baking powder and salt. Gently stir in the flour until all ingredients are combined.

Heat a griddle over medium to medium-high heat. Add about a teaspoon of coconut oil, if desired. Work in batches and drop the batter by a heaping ¼ cup into the skillet. Once the batter begins to bubble, flip and cook the same amount of time on the other side. Serve warm with fresh strawberries and maple syrup.

Baked Egg Cups with Asparagus and Kale

April 12, 2011

These easy baked egg cups are a perfect way to use up produce from the garden for a protein-packed breakfast!

A few weeks ago, when the temperatures were still well into the freezing range, I was checking out the garden and thinking about my plan for planting this summer. I hadn’t paid much attention the raised bed of greens we planted last fall. It had been so hot that nothing grew so I just let it be.

That day I just happen to look down and see a bit of green. I thought – wow, that kind of looks like new growth. Turns out, it was. The kale from last fall came back this spring and it has loved the cooler temps!

Soon after the kale, came our first round of asparagus. The plants are two years old now so this year we’ve been able to harvest some for the dinner table. Three bunches so far.

I am loving this sign of new life. Lately, I’ve been a bit uninspired in the kitchen. I can’t seem to come up with any new ideas and at times I’ve felt a bit like not cooking at all.

That was until the green goodness starting showing up. Soon behind these are all the blooming strawberry and blackberry plants.

Armed with asparagus, kale and so far from the herb garden, thyme and chives, I decided to try and use up some of the eggs I got from a local homesteader and friend. Baked eggs seem to be popular this spring so I did my own twist on this tasty breakfast or brunch dish.

It turns out these are great for snacks and dinner too. They are full of greens and the herbs are definitely the shining star, or at least as much as they can be next to those bright orange, farm fresh egg yolks. It was only after making them that I realized everything I had added was either from our garden or a local producer except for the milk, salt and the butter I used to grease the muffin pan.

Baked Egg Cups with Asparagus and Kale

2018-04-27 17:55:13

Makes 8

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Ingredients

1 ½ cups finely chopped kale leaves
2/3 cup finely shredded cheese (I used St. Jerome)
6 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoons fine sea salt
Eight 1-inch pieces asparagus

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin pan with butter or the oil of your choice. Divide the kale and cheese evenly between the 8 muffin cups.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the chives, thyme, and salt. Pour the egg mixture into the muffin cups, dividing it evenly. Place a piece of asparagus on top of each cup.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the eggs are set in the center and slightly browned on the edges. Cool for 2 to 3 minutes, remove from the pan and serve.

By Lori Rice

Fake Food Free https://www.fakefoodfree.com/

Baked Egg Cups with Asparagus and Kale Recipe

Peach Baked Oatmeal

January 31, 2011

I’ve hit that point in the winter when the freezer digging begins. I’m about out of tomatoes and chicken stock, and making mental notes to myself that I need to freeze more during this coming summer.

During this process, I also end up uncovering a few things I had forgotten about. For example, this weekend I found a couple white peaches I bought last July from a local orchard. Instead of letting them go bad before I could use them up, I peeled, chopped and froze them thinking I’d add them to a pie or other dessert this winter.

When I found them the first thing I thought of was baked oatmeal. I’ve been seeing it all over blogs lately, but have yet to make it myself. I thought the peach would make a nice variation to the apple, cinnamon and maple varieties I’ve come across.

I used a recent recipe I found at Two Peas and Their Pod and adjusted it so that I could use my peaches and my favorite varieties of cane sugar. I cut the liquid back a bit to account for the peaches, but I may have cut it back a little too much. My baked oatmeal came out almost like a cross between an oatmeal bread and cookie. However, this morning when I poured about 3 tablespoons of milk over it before heating it up in the microwave, it was perfect. Hearty and filling.

Peach Baked Oatmeal via @Lori_Rice

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It’s only slightly sweet so I paired it up with just a dollop of my homemade peach jam. Maple syrup would work well, too. Then, as with most of my breakfasts, it had to be topped with some chopped walnuts.

I’m now a huge fan of baked oatmeal! It’s perfect to have on hand for busy mornings.

Peach Baked Oatmeal

Adapted from Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal by Two Peas and Their Pod

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

Peaches
2 peaches peeled, pitted and chopped (defrosted if frozen)
1/8 cup water
1/8 cup Demerara sugar

Oatmeal
3 cups rolled oats
¼ cup mascavo sugar (or any evaporated cane sugar)
1 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
½ cup milk
½ cup water
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla

Prep

In a sauce pan, combine the peaches, sugar and 1/8 cup water. Bring to a low boil and cook, stirring often, until peaches are broken down and sauce is thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, mascavo sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, ½ cup of water, 2 egg whites and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Slowly stir in the cooled peach mixture. Spoon the oatmeal into a greased casserole dish and spread evenly. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm. To serve leftovers, add 3 tablespoons of milk before reheating in the microwave.

Bourbon Sweet Potato Waffles with Maple Cinnamon Butter

November 14, 2010

Towards the end of last week we were able to catch up on the DVR. One show we’ve been anxiously awaiting was the recent Iron Chef America episode on the Food Network. While I didn’t intend to keep with the theme of my last post, the secret ingredient just happened to be bourbon!

Since I still have some sweet potatoes from my Dad’s garden in the kitchen, I perked up when I saw that Iron Chef Cat Cora was roasting some sweet potatoes for one of her dishes. The final creation was a bourbon sweet potato waffle.

Can you guess what I made for Sunday breakfast this weekend?

I used a combo of whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour and maple syrup to make a hearty, slightly sweet waffle. A little nutmeg and cinnamon in the batter gave it a mild holiday flavor.

I decided to top it off with a simple, sweet butter made with cinnamon and maple syrup. If you add the butter when the waffles are warm, it will melt down into a cinnamon sauce and you won’t need any additional syrup at all.

Bourbon Sweet Potato Waffles

Makes: 6 to 8 waffles

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups milk (any variety)
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tbsp bourbon
¼ cup mashed sweet potato

Prep

Preheat your waffle iron and melt the two tablespoons of butter. This will be used to brush on the iron before cooking the waffles.

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup and bourbon. Whisk in the sweet potato vigorously to break up any clumps.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently to incorporate. Once the batter is mixed, brush butter on the waffle iron and pour by ¼ to 1/3 cup portions onto the hot waffle iron. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes, until the waffled is puffed and slightly browned. Makes 6 to 8 waffles. Top with maple cinnamon butter when warm. (recipe below)

Maple Cinnamon Butter

Makes: About 1/4 cup

Ingredients

½ stick unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp maple syrup
¾ tsp ground cinnamon

Prep

Stir all ingredients together until combined. You can also use a small food processor to blend the ingredients. Add more cinnamon or syrup to taste if desired. Makes about ¼ cup.

Gingered Pear Quinoa with Walnuts

September 23, 2010

I think I have a problem. I tend to go a little crazy when it comes to buying grains. Wheat berries, couscous, Israeli couscous, millet, brown rice, white rice, sticky rice, oats and quinoa. There have even been occasions when I lost track of which grain was which since I buy them from the bulk bin.

See, I told you I have a problem.

I keep buying because every time I’m in the store I have great ideas of what I will make. Not to mention that if it is a hard grain to find at a great price, I just can’t resist.

As I get settled into the new job I’m finding my cooking creativity is suffering. I trust it will return, but right now I’ve got lots of grains and no cooking going on.

Last night I was motivated, though. Weak as it may have been, I made an attempt to use up my rations. I turned to the red quinoa.

Gingered Pear Quinoa with Walnuts Recipe | Fake Food Free

Not in the mood for savory, I went sweet. And not just sweet, but an autumn-inspired sweet. I’m amazed at how well quinoa turns out with fruits and other sweet additions. The nutty flavor comes out and it tastes like it was meant to be.

I sautéed pears with mascavo sugar, cinnamon, ginger and walnuts. Once tossed with some cooked red quinoa, it became this morning’s perfect breakfast. The best meal I’ve had all week!

Gingered Pear Quinoa with Walnuts

Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons mascavo sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 pear, cored and chopped
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
1 cup cooked, red quinoa

Prep

Melt the butter and sugar in a skillet on medium heat. Add the cinnamon and ginger and cook until bubbly.

Add the chopped pear, and stir to coat with the sugar mixture. Cook about 1 minute, careful to keep the pears somewhat firm. Add the walnuts.

Stir in the quinoa and serve warm.

Jonathan’s Bluegrass Table: Cornmeal Waffles with Bananas Foster Sauce

June 15, 2010

When I was in San Francisco last November for the Foodbuzz event the people I met, especially those from California, seemed intrigued by the fact that I was from Kentucky. No offense meant to you if you are from California, of course. However, it was immediately apparent to me that Kentucky seemed a strange and far off place to those I encountered.

During that food conference last year the common question was:

How are things in Kentucky?

Obviously, with the given atmosphere “things” was used to refer to food. People seemed somewhat surprised when I told them about our multiple local producers of incredible products like cheese and honey, or the rolling farm land owned by inspiring families who use the same practices as Polyface Farm featured in Omnivore’s Dilemma and Food, Inc. I typically went on to talk about the gourmet restaurants housed in historic buildings with chefs who are regularly in the running for the honor of the James Beard award in the Southeast region.

The more we talked, the more my pride grew. Yes, we have some fabulous food and chefs in Kentucky. While I enjoyed our conversations, I’ve recently acquired a cookbook that will leave no need for further discussions. The next food event I attend outside of Kentucky I think I will take it with me. When someone asks me, “How are things in Kentucky?” my answer will be:

This is how things are in Kentucky.

Jonathan Lundy is the chef owner of the historic restaurant in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, Jonathan at Gratz Park. In his new cookbook, Jonathan’s Bluegrass Table: Redefining Kentucky Cuisine, he combines the flavors and ingredients he grew up around in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region with the flair that only a creative, highly skilled and well-traveled chef can master. Many of the recipes for the foods featured at the restaurant come to life in his cookbook.

Chef Lundy has strong ties to Kentucky which comes through in his art. His family invented Calumet baking powder which was later sold to become Calumet Farm with a record history for Derby and Triple Crown winners. If you don’t know much about horse racing, perhaps this additional fact about Chef Lundy’s history will be of interest – his first kitchen job was as an apprentice to Emeril Lagasse. Jonathan was a 2010 James Beard Southeast chef of the year nominee.

This collection of recipes is more than a cookbook; it is a food memoir of growing up in Kentucky. Chef Lundy uses local ingredients such as sorghum, bourbon, country ham and grits to create old fashioned favorites with an upscale, gourmet twist. It is Kentucky food as it has never been done before. It is history for the modern food lover.

Many of the recipes utilize fairly simple ingredients with straight forward steps. One recipe will encompass several others as sauces, toppings and other additions are included in separate recipes. This makes it easy to quickly find them when you take Chef Lundy’s advice and use the book as a base to get creative in your own cooking.

The book is full of stunning photography by Lee Thomas. Not only will you see gorgeous food photos, but photos of all things Kentucky – horses, stone fences, farms and family.

It was difficult to decide what I wanted to make from the cookbook, but it is likely no surprise to you that I went straight for the brunch section. This led me to Cornmeal Waffles with Bananas Foster Sauce. This is the most unique waffle recipe I have tried and to be honest with you, as I mixed the batter I began to worry that it would be too thin. However, once on the iron it puffed up beautifully.

Cornmeal Waffles with Bananas Foster Sauce | Fake Food Free

I let them cook longer than other waffles I’ve made, closer to 6 minutes than 4. This created a beautifully crunchy crust. Once they are topped with the Bananas Foster Sauce you realize you have the best balance between breakfast and dessert ever created.

Cornmeal Waffles with Bananas Foster Sauce and Toasted Pecans

Reprinted with permission from Jonathan Lundy

½ cup flour (I used white whole wheat)
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup cornmeal
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tbsp sugar (I used mascavo)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups buttermilk
½ cup milk
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 egg yolk
3 egg whites
Bananas Foster Sauce (below)
½ cup toasted pecans

Sift all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
In another large mixing bowl, mix the vanilla, buttermilk, milk, vegetable oil and egg yolks together.
Whip egg whites to a soft peak.
Mix all ingredients together.
Store in a refrigerator. May be made up to 2 hours before cooking.
Follow waffle machine directions.
Top off waffles with Bananas Foster Sauce and toasted pecans.
Serves 6

Bananas Foster Sauce

1 stick butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup banana liqueur
6 bananas, sliced ½ inch thick
½ cup dark rum

Add melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium-sized sauté pan. Place pan on low heat and simmer until sugar has dissolved.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.
Ladle 3-4 ounces on each portion of cornmeal waffles.
Yields about 4 cups – Serves 6

If you want to experience Kentucky cooking the book is available from the Jonathan at Gratz Park website, Butler Books or your local bookstore.

If you happen to be around the area you can meet Jonathan during his guest chef appearances at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky on June 18th and on the Old Kentucky Dinner Train on July 10th for special dinners and book signings. He will also host the opening night of the James Beard – Alltech World Equestrian Games dinners on September 25, 2010, an amazing world-wide equestrian and food event taking place in our area.

Below is a sampling of some of the other wonderful recipes you will find in Jonathan’s Bluegrass Table.
All photos below are the work of Lee Thomas and reprinted with permission from Jonathan Lundy.

Potato-Spun Shrimp

Pimento Cheese Grit Fries

Shrimp and Grits

Flaming Butterscotch-Bourbon Crème Brûlée

Disclosure: The review copy of this cookbook was sent to me free of charge. I was not under any obligation to write about it and I did not receive any compensation for doing so. Nothing influenced the opinions written here other than my love for local foods.

Whole Grain Rhubarb Waffles with Strawberry Butter

June 1, 2010

I’m always inspired when I read about other food bloggers taking on challenging ingredients. It is usually something like a root veggie or an over abundance of cabbage in a CSA box. While there is apprehension at first, the final result is always beautiful even if you don’t prefer the star ingredient.

Rhubarb has been my challenging vegetable as of late. It was a staple in our garden growing up, but when I had the opportunity to grow it myself, I declined. But since my parents had an over abundance, I was offered some of this year’s harvest. Seeing it as a culinary challenge, I accepted.

I feel a bit sorry for rhubarb with its poisonous leaves. It really isn’t a nutritional superstar either; just a stalk that is often in the shadows of fruits like strawberries, in order to be enjoyed.

I like the flavor of rhubarb, just not the texture. This is especially true after growing up at dinner table with brothers who made disgusting jokes about said texture while eating the pie. Thus, be careful of the way you perceive and communicate perceptions of foods to children. I’m proof that those comments hang around and can control food preferences later in life!

But now, I was up for the challenge of tackling my rhubarb apprehension. With plenty on hand I had to come up with something that would present the flavor, but not the texture.

My first thought? Waffles!

Ever since I got my waffle maker last Christmas I’m always thinking about new waffle recipes. For this one, the rhubarb blended in nicely to the whole grain waffle and while it wasn’t quite as strong as I would have liked it was still good. I topped it off with some strawberry butter and breakfast was complete.

Whole Grain Rhubarb Waffles with Strawberry Butter

Makes: About 6 waffles

Ingredients

1 cup rhubarb, chopped
4 tablespoon water
¼ cup demerara sugar

1 cup white whole wheat flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup unsalted butter melted, plus 2 tbsp more for waffle iron
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Prep

In a sauce pan, combine the rhubarb, water and sugar. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring often until the rhubarb cooks down to a jam-like consistency, about five to seven minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cooled melted butter, eggs and rhubarb. Stir to combine all the ingredients.

Heat your waffle iron and lightly brush each side with melted butter. Pour a heaping 1/3 cup of batter onto the iron, close and cook for about four minutes. Remove and repeat with the butter for the next waffle. Top waffles with strawberry butter (below) before serving.

Strawberry Butter

I really enjoy fruit butters in place of syrup on waffles. We used to make them all the time when I worked in a bakery. There are a variety of ways to create them, but the easiest is with jam and butter. I used some strawberry freezer jam that my mom made with this year’s fresh strawberries.

Ingredients

¼ cup butter, unsalted, slightly softened
2 teaspoon strawberry jam, the thinner the consistency the better

Prep

Place ingredients in a small food processor. Process until everything is blended and the butter is soft and spreadable.

For more info, the University of Illinois Extension Service has a helpful page about rhubarb.

Jackfruit Muffins

April 26, 2010

What exactly is a jackfruit?

Well, it is likely the largest fruit you’ve ever seen. My first encounter with them was in Brazil, the photo at the right was taken in Ubud-Bali, Indonesia. When I say big, I mean when they are sitting on the ground they would come up to about mid-thigh, some perhaps even to your waist.

I might also mention that they are quite scary. There were many growing in the park around the zoo where we lived in Brazil. On more than one occasion I heard a ripe one fall out of a tree and hit the ground. Beneath such a tree you do not want to be. Loudest thud I’ve ever heard.

I only tasted them once when we were in Brazil at the local farmer’s market. It was a sticky, gooey piece of fruity flesh that tasted somewhat like a mix between a mango, banana and pineapple. I had a difficult time with the texture, but the fruit has a delicious flavor.

Despite my easy access, I never bought one. I often regret that decision now, but there were two reasons for this. The first was their size. About 98% of the time I went to the market by myself and this required a 20 minute walk each way. Yeah, lugging a fruit the size of my lower body back to the apartment wasn’t going to happen.

Second, anytime we got into a conversation about jaca (the Portuguese word for jackfruit) we were warned of the sticky flesh. Apparently it is no less binding than a good glue and I heard horror stories from friends about how they spent days trying to get it off their hands after they would eat them outdoors as kids. I really didn’t want to tackle that either.

Before we left Brazil, Tracey at the Tangled Noodle posted a recipe for Langka Muffins. Langka is jackfruit in the Philippines. What a language lesson you are getting in this post!

After seeing the recipe, I wanted to try it, but still didn’t get up the courage to buy fresh jackfruit. Then, when we were in Thailand I tried a jackfruit shake that was incredible and my interest grew.

The next thing I knew we had moved back to the US and I found canned jackfruit at our international market. I know it is a bit backwards for a real foodie to have access to the fresh and go for the canned, but the canned I knew I could handle.

I was a bit surprised by the texture of the fruit in the can. It was much different than what we had in Brazil. This might have to do with the fact that the fruit I had in Brazil was overripe and they probably harvest the canned variety early, or it could have been the syrup, or maybe it is a different variety that grows in different regions. Who knows?

I know one thing though, Tracey wasn’t kidding! Those muffins are delicious! I modified the recipe a bit to use whole grains, coconut oil and some mascavo sugar I have left from Brazil. I also topped some of them with coconut before baking.

Jackfruit Muffins
Modified from Langka Muffins at Tangled Noodle

Ingredients
2 cups white whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup minimally refined sugar
½ cup milk
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 cup chopped jackfruit with ¼ cup syrup reserved
½ cup shredded coconut,unsweetened (optional)

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease or spray the bottom of each muffin tin with coconut oil or non-stick spray. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together the sugar, milk, oil, egg and jackfruit syrup.

Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry. Stir in the jackfruit just until everything is combined. This batter will be very thick. Divide into 12 muffins. Press coconut into the top of each muffin if using. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until muffins are browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and remove from pan. Makes 12 muffins.

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