Breakfast of Champions

Though maybe not as exciting as caramel apples, pancakes, or pie (just wait--the fall pies will be coming soon!), I did take on a couple of mini experiments yesterday to use up ingredients we had around the house. Oats, skim milk, and browning bananas easily turned into a rather healthy family breakfast for this morning: a pot of Oatmeal and a Peachy-Banana Fruit Smoothie. If you're in a hurry and need to feed 3-5 people on a weekday morning, this might just be the way to go.

Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1 quart (4 cups) skim milk (or liquid of choice--soymilk, almond milk, water, etc.)
Pinch of salt
2 and 1/2 cups oats

Directions:

1.) Pour the milk into a large pot, add the salt, and bring to a boil on the stove. When bubbles just begin to form (watch it carefully so the milk doesn't scald), stir in the oats and reduce the heat to a low simmer.

2.) Simmer the oatmeal for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until it reaches your desired consistency. (I like my oatmeal a little more toasty, so I'll leave it on the stove a while. But if you like it creamy, stick to five minutes or less).

3.) Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and enjoy! Also tastes great cold--after being refrigerated overnight--with a fork. Yes, I'm weird. Moving on....

Peachy-Banana Smoothie


Ingredients:

2 medium bananas, sliced
1 package (10 oz) frozen peaches
1 cup light vanilla soymilk (I used Silk brand)


Directions:


1.) Add the bananas, peaches, and soymilk into your blender and blend about 15 seconds, making sure all big chunks are broken up. A few small chunks are okay, especially if you like a thick smoothie like I do. Pour into a glass and top with chopped almonds if you desire. That's it!

The smoothie didn't end up quite as "peachy" as I would have liked, so next time I might up the amount of peaches and cut back on the banana, maybe even using bananas that are slightly less brown, and adding just a touch of honey or other sweetener. Still, it was an experiment using what we had. For the oatmeal, I'd love to test out different liquids (almond milk with a touch of almond extract perhaps) as well as potential flavor additions like maple syrup, brown sugar, dried fruits, and fresh strawberries. Since it is fall, however, I'm leaning everything toward...pumpkin.

Yes, you'd better believe there will be pumpkin treats on this blog before November. If you thought I got excited about making caramel apples....

Caramel Apples!!!

Yes, this post requires at least three exclamation points in the title! The weather outside may still be in the triple digits and Vegas may not have a single tree with leaves that actually change color, but I can still consider it officially fall where I live: I've made my first batch of Caramel Apples.

It doesn't matter whether you pronounce it CAR-MEL or CARA-MEL, it's all delicious in my book. And yes, CAR-MEL (that's how I say it) does have a little dairy in it, but that, along with yogurt/frozen yogurt, are the two dessert risks I take in an otherwise lactose intolerant diet since they're made with skim milk--generally easier on the tummy than whole milk or cream. You can also use that logic to convince yourself this treat is almost healthy for you too! Skim = fat-free! Nuts, in moderation, are good for the heart! Apples are fruit! You get the idea.

So, why do Caramel Apples deserve three exclamation points? One for health and flavor, one for the great memories this seasonal treat invokes, and one for being the super easiest snack/dessert you can make! No actual baking required!

Can you tell I'm excited?

All you need are caramels, nuts, and apples, with a stove, some sticks, and water to complete the process. Follow along with me and you'll be making caramel apples before you know it!

Ingredients:

2 packages of caramels (the 11 oz bag). Hint: I use Kraft brand "Caramel Bits" because you don't have to spend hours unwrapping each candy!
1/4 cup water
15 small apples (approximately. I managed to get 17 little apples done, or you could try for 10 medium-sized ones. Granny Smith--the green ones--work best, but I also used Gala.)
15 short wooden skewers (available at most grocery stores, or substitute Popsicle sticks if that's all you can find)
Parchment or wax paper
Non-stick cooking spray
3 cups chopped nuts of your choice (I did about 2 cups peanuts and 1 cup almonds to create a variety of finished caramel apples)
Paper bowls or plates are helpful!

Directions:


1.) Rinse and pat dry your apples, snip off the stems, and then firmly place your skewers or sticks in the center of the apples where the stems were. Now would also be a good time to prep where your apples are going to end up landing. Cover a large plate, tray, or baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and spray the paper lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Pour your nuts into paper bowls or onto paper plates.


2.) Empty both bags of caramels into a medium-sized pot. Add the water and heat over a medium to low flame (Do not boil). It may take a few minutes for the caramels to melt, so just keep stirring until they start to get smooth. (Keep in mind, whatever spoon you use to stir will have caramel stuck to it for quite some time until you get a chance to thoroughly hand wash it off).


3.) Keeping the stove on low heat, take your apples by the skewer as a handle and dip them into the caramel. The deeper your caramel the more coating you'll be able to get, but I'm personally satisfied with just a light coating rather than fully submerging my apples (it allows me to make more of them and doesn't use up the caramel as quickly). Turn your apple to get the caramel to coat all sides as evenly as possible, but don't worry if it doesn't look perfect! This is a sloppy experiment! Expect to get messy and sticky and create apples that are messy and sticky too! My favorite trick is to just keep twisting the apple in the air over the pot until the caramel stops dripping.


4.) Immediately transfer your apple to your bowl or plate of nuts (I found that paper plates worked more easily after already doing half the batch in small paper bowls). Roll the apples in the nuts to get them to stick to all sides. The caramel will start to firm up right away, which makes it harder for nuts to stick, so make sure you coat the bottoms and sides as quickly as possible.

5.) Place the finished apple onto your prepared paper sheet and repeat until all apples are done! Refrigerate at least an hour (if you can wait) or dig in as soon as you're ready. I personally like my apples cold, and the fridge will harden up the caramel a little more. But hey, temptation is hard to resist. I usually end up snacking on the leftover pieces of nuts and caramel that remain stuck to the bottom of the plates or bowls once all the apples are done.

Keep in mind, I made these for my family to celebrate the first week of fall. But, IF we end up with any leftovers, I promise to bring them into work, where it will be a first-come, first-served free-for-all! Yes, I truly do love the fall.

Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes

I've always been quite the pancake person. Pancakes were, after all, the first things I ever learned to bake, standing at my grandfather's side on Sunday mornings when he'd come all the way from Texas with my grandmother to visit our family during the Christmas season. Now, Sunday morning pancakes remain a tradition at our house, primarily because my dad requests them every week without fail. With school and work taking up the majority of my life lately, my mom had lately been the one to take up this task. Now that I'm officially done with school, however, I jump at any potential baking opportunity.

With the fall season finally coming upon us (my favorite, favorite season and best time for baking), I decided to give our traditional pancake recipe a seasonal twist, adding apples and cinnamon to our standard following of Bette's Diner Buttermilk Pancakes by Bette Kroening (as found in The Pancake Handbook: Specialties from Bette's Oceanview Diner). Nothing says fall quite like apples and cinnamon...except maybe pumpkin...but that's a blog post for another day....

For a Sunday morning in September, enjoy Bette's buttermilk pancakes, turned Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes, with love and adaptations by me:

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (the only flour I use, though all-purpose flour will work just fine)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (I use sea salt)
2 cups buttermilk (1% milkfat if you can find it)
1/2 cup milk (skim)
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (that's half a stick)
1-2 small apples, sliced into thin wedges (I prefer gala apples myself)
Cinnamon
Canola oil for greasing the griddle

Directions

1.) In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together until just blended.

2.) In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, milk, eggs, and melted butter (I melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave for about 40 seconds, watching to make sure it doesn't bubble over). Make sure to let the butter cool before adding it to the mixture or it will curdle the eggs (stirring quickly can help avoid this).

3.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just to combine. Make sure the flour has been fully incorporated, but don't over mix (lumps are OK! Don't feel the need to wipe them all out!).

4.) Drizzle oil onto your griddle and brush lightly with a paper towel to spread it to all corners of the pan. Heat the griddle on the stove to about medium heat and test for temperature using a few flicks of water droplets. If the droplets sizzle without evaporating too quickly, you're good to go.

5.) Pour about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of batter onto the griddle, centered directly over your stove's burners. Add your apple slices onto the disc of batter (be as decorative as you like) and sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Wait about a minute, then check for a golden brown color underneath the pancake by lifting the edge just slightly with your spatula. If you've achieved that perfect color, you're ready to flip! Wait just another minute or two for the other side to cook, and then serve while still warm.

These pancakes smell amazing! You'll be instantly transported into all of fall's goodness, even well before the official date of Sept. 23. Yes, I'm counting the days....

Last-Minute Focaccia Pizza

I don't always make dinner for my family, since I'm really much more comfortable baking than I am cooking. But when I saw a package of focaccia dough from Fresh and Easy in the fridge that was about to expire this week, I had the idea to use ingredients we had lying around the kitchen, and bake up a pizza experiment: Last-Minute Focaccia Pizza

Ingredients

1 package Rosemary Focaccia dough
3/4 cup marinara sauce (I used Francesco Rinaldi Chunky Garden Pasta Sauce
5 mozzarella cheese sticks/string cheese, shredded (I simply tore into pieces)
1/4 cup mushrooms, cooked on the stove in butter and sherry wine
5 nitrate-free deli pepperoni slices
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese blend (even Parmesan alone would work)

1.) Remove the dough from the package and knead in your hands until a disc-like shape is formed. Stretch and flatten by holding the dough with the tips of your fingers and working them around the edge of the dough, letting the weight of the dough stretch it out into a larger disc (I learned this technique from a pizza-making class at Metro Pizza. If only I could learn how to toss the dough and catch it like a real pizza master...).

2.) Place the disc of dough on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Finish rounding it out into a pizza circle shape, then dimple the dough lightly with your fingers and prick it slightly with a fork. At this point you can also drizzle the dough with olive oil and a sprinkling of Kosher salt for added flavor.

3.) Spread the sauce evenly on the dough, leaving a slight edge for gripping the crust. Add mozzarella, garlic, cooked mushrooms, and pepperoni. Top with the Parmesan cheese blend, and be sure to remove any excess cheese from the cookie sheet that might have spilled over (it could burn in the oven).

4.) Bake in a 400 degree oven for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown. Allow the pizza to cool slightly before slicing.

Quick, easy, and delicious! That's how I like all my recipes. The only downside to such a pizza-baking experiment is the sad fact that I happen to be lactose intolerant, and must therefore cautiously limit my intake of dairy. Thus, the majority of this supper went to my brothers. I did, however, sneak a teeny tiny piece to check the success of the overall dish, sticking primarily to the crust and mushrooms. The flavor was definitely present, and I'd be happy to whip up such a meal for my family again!

Almond French Toast

Another day of waking up, jogging, and just needing to bake. With nothing specific in mind, I turned to http://allrecipes.com/ for breakfast inspiration, thinking something along the lines of French Toast. What popped up was this "Baked French Toast"  recipe by ANTLALA. After analyzing it briefly (looking at the ingredients I had and the flavors I wanted to experiment with), I adjusted the proportions and made my own additions to create Almond French Toast:

Ingredients
About 6 slices whole grain bread, (or bread of choice) cut diagonally (stale bread works best).
4 eggs
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
3/4 cup fat-free half-and-half
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup sliced almond pieces

Directions
1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place the bread slices in the bottom of the dish.

2.) In a bowl, combine the eggs, almond milk, half-and-half, almond extract and cinnamon, beating with a fork. Pour the mixture over the bread and let sit while the oven is preheating. Cover with foil and bake approximately 20 minutes.

3.) In a small pot or pan, combine the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring constantly until the mixture boils. Remove the French Toast from the oven, uncover, and sprinkle with almond pieces. Pour the butter mixture on top, drizzling until a thin layer has coated the top of the bread and nuts.

4.) Bake uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes, until the toast looks crispy but not too brown.

You can try to pull out the individual triangles of bread for each serving (they may stick together), or just treat it like a bread pudding: take a spatula (or a fork) and dig in!