Happiness is...baking

I ran across this article in The Atlantic several weeks ago and I loved the premise.  The author talked about how happiness changes for us as we grow older. What would our younger selves think of what  currently brings us enjoyment?

Isn't that a great question.  But, to answer it, you have to know what makes you happy.  What makes you happy?  This is a much tougher question to answer. I find that I make progress when I think about the little things that contribute to my happiness, over searching for one big secret to happiness.  This is especially helpful lately when I have been working really hard to sustain my happiness.

A revelation.  I am happy when I am cooking and baking in my kitchen, even if it means that I do dishes six times in one day.  Last Sunday, I needed to clear my head and blueberry lime cream cheese pound cake sounded like the perfect cure.  A friend pinned it on Pinterest and I luckily had all of the ingredients.  The result was a delicious cake that lasted about 24 hours in our house.  Wonderful and easy to make!

Recipe from:  http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/2013/06/blueberry-lime-cream-cheese-pound-cake/ 

Blueberry Lime Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lime zest
1 cup fresh blueberries


Cream cheese frosting
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment paper as well. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, throughly mixing each time. Add vanilla extract and lime zest, mixing until combined.
4. Pour flour mixture over the batter mixture. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour until it’s completely mixed in and there are no pockets of dry flour. Lastly, gently fold in the blueberries.
5. Transfer batter to prepared baking loaf pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let sit until cool, at least 30 minutes and then remove from pan.
6. In a stand mixer or large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth. Beat in vanilla extract.
7. Carefully frost top of the cooled poundcake and store in fridge until ready to serve.

Beer braised brisket

We enjoyed a great meal last night - Boulevard Wheat Beer Braised Brisket with new potatoes and peas.

I put this recipe on Evernote several months ago and sort of forgot about it until my dad brought us some brisket last weekend.  We are really fortunate to have access to great beef from my dad's cows.  He is super generous to help us stock our freezer and we eat really well because of his generosity.

The recipe came from the Kansas Beef Chat blog and it sounded like a really delicious and easy way to make brisket.  The only ingredient I skimped on was the fresh thyme because I was too lazy to go out to the garden in the morning.

I did the prep this morning and placed it in the fridge.  My husband put the brisket in the oven this afternoon and by the time I was home, we had a great dinner ready to serve.

Boulevard Wheat Beer Braised Brisket

 

1 piece beef brisket flat
2 each carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bottles Boulevard Wheat Beer
3 tbsp sugar
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarse ground pepper
1 tablespoon granulated garlic

 

Equipment needed:
Baking pan, plastic wrap, aluminum foil

 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop vegetables and spread in bottom of baking pan. Rub brisket with spices and place in pan, fat side up. Top with thyme sprigs. Pour beer in bottom of pan. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and then foil, creating a good seal around the edge to keep liquid from escaping. Bake at 350 degrees for 3-4 hours, to desired tenderness, 185-195 degrees F, or fork tender.

 

Remove brisket from pan and cool before slicing. Can be cooked ahead, sliced and reheated when needed. You may use the pan drippings to make a delicious sauce to serve with it.

Jumping on the freezer to slow cooker bandwagon

One of the latest popular pins on Pinterest is make ahead slow cooker meals that can be frozen.  The Mama and  Baby Love blog is getting a lot of buzz.

I really love the concept - you do one prep with one clean up.  In the end, you have two meals that can easily be cooked while you are at work and you have a dinner waiting for you when you come home.


My first attempt is Teriyaki Chicken.

The "cast of characters" shot made famous by The Pioneer Woman shows off how few ingredients you need for this great recipe.  Note that the bag of carrots is not quite full - my husband didn't know these were for the recipe.


Teriyaki Chicken (2 bags)


Ingredients:
1 large bag of baby carrots
1 red onion
2 20 oz cans crushed pineapple
4 cloves garlic
4 chicken breasts
1 cup teriyaki sauce
2 gallon freezer bags


Directions:
Write the following instructions on the gallon freezer bags with a Sharpie.  Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce to the mixture.  Cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.  Serve over rice.


Pour half of the bag of baby carrots into each freezer bag.
Cut the red onion into large chunks and split between the two bags.
Pour one can of pineapple into each bag (undrained).
Chop the cloves of garlic and put half in each bag.
Place half of the chicken breasts in each bag.
Pour 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce into each bag.


Seal the bags and push out any excess air so that the bags lay flat.  Place in the freezer.  The night before you plan to make the meal, place the bag in the refrigerator and put the ingredients into the slow cooker the next day.

I can't wait to make this dish and see how it works!

More sides and salads

We continued our quest to make some awesome salads and side dishes. My husband was a little skeptical about tonight's recipes, but I think I won him over on at least one of the dishes. He was a big help as my sous chef.

My plan was to make two salads tonight to help us with lunches and dinners through the week. Paired with a chicken, cucumber and cheese wrap, the salads were great summertime fare.

The Greek quinoa salad was another find from Two Peas and Their Pod. I really love their blog and all of the delicious recipes they share. They continue to provide inspiration for great food and yummy cookies.

Greek Quinoa Salad

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
Pinch of salt
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To make the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preparation
Using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let cool quinoa cool to room temperature.In a large bowl, combine quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, red onion, and feta cheese.To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano in a small bowl. Pour dressing over the salad and stir until mixed well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.


The antipasto pasta salad was a big hit! It makes a really large amount and it seems like the type of dish that just gets better the longer the flavors marinade together.

(I found it at epicurious.com and it had a reference from Gourmet magazine.)

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1 pound rotini or fusilli (corkscrew-shaped pastas)
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 ounce (1/2 cup) sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and drained well
1/2 pound smoked mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
a 1-pound can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 1/2 ounces sliced hard salami, cut into julienne strips
10 to 20 bottled small peperoncini (pickled Tuscan peppers)
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves, minced

Preparation
In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the rotini until it is tender and drain it. Refresh the pasta under cold water and drain it well.
In a blender blend the garlic, the mustard, the vinegars, the water, the oil, and salt to taste until the dressing is emulsified.
In a very large bowl toss the pasta well with the dressing and stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, the mozzarella, the garbanzos, the salami, the Tuscan peppers, the red pepper flakes, and the parsley.
Chill the salad, covered, for 1 hour. The salad may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.

Homemade granola bars

Another adventure in cooking - homemade granola bars.  We really love granola bars and always try to find a healthy and low cost option at the store.  I read about this recipe and thought it might be a good option for us.  I loved the short ingredient list and the directions seemed very straight forward.

My husband and I worked together and really liked the result.  The bars held together well and the taste is as good as anything we have purchased at the store.  In fact, my husband thinks they are a little sweeter (in a good way).

Give them a try!


No-Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
yield: 10 bars
adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter, honey and brown sugar together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir.

Pour over dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased small jelly roll pan {about 12x8x1} and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. {If your pan isn’t small enough, pack the mixture into one side. You really want to press them down so they stick together.} Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly.

Cool on a countertop to room temperature for two hours or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Recipe Notes: If your granola bars don’t seem to be staying together when you cut them, you may have made them too thin or you didn’t pack them in tight enough. Stick them in the fridge for 20 minutes and that should help keep them together. {Be sure not to keep them in there too long or else they’ll become super hard!} The next time you make them, try reducing the butter to 3 tablespoons and really packing them down.

Adventures in cooking: a surprise hit

It is no secret that my husband is not a big fan of some of my favorite foods - avocado might be at the top of the list.  I have converted him to appreciating broccoli, hummus, and a few others foods that he would not even consider when we were first married.  I am on a personal mission to expand his food horizons.

This Sunday was another beautiful day and we spent a lot of time in the yard, garden and alpaca pen working on projects.  At lunch time, we wanted something quick and light to enjoy before heading back outside to work.  I remembered I had picked up the ingredients for a new sandwich - the recipe was from Two Peas and Their Pod and it was the perfect option for lunch.  The only problem....my husband doesn't like avocados!

I told him I was going to make lunch and that he should keep an open mind.  He said he was scared.

When it was all said and done, the sandwich was a big hit!  Jeremy liked it and I did, too.  This is a definite keeper!

Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich

Yield: Salad for 3-4 sandwiches    Prep Time: 10 minutes       Total Time: 10 minutes



1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bread of your choice
Fresh spinach leaves or other sandwich toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, sprouts, etc.

1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Place on a paper towel (optional: and remove the outer skins). 
2. In a medium bowl, using a fork or potato masher smash the chickpeas and avocado together. Add in cilantro, green onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Spread salad on bread and top with your favorite sandwich toppings. 

Black bean and tomato quinoa

We tried a new recipe tonight and it was a hit! I admit that it was a bit of a risk since it was a vegetarian dish and my husband was a little skeptical of the strange sounding main ingredient.

We tried quinoa before, but I will chalk our indifference to chef's error. It just wasn't spectacular. I take full responsibility, but am not easily discouraged in the kitchen. While cleaning the cupboards last week, I found the half used box and in my efforts to use that we buy decided to give it a try again. The recipe search began last week and I thought I had a winner.

This recipe had a very clean and fresh taste with the lime flavorings. It was fairly quick to make, even with all of the chopping. I did take some short cuts - like using pre-washed quinoa.

For the side, Jeremy made pita chips by crisping pita bread in the oven and we had our favorite hummus.

So, what is quinoa (KEEN-wah)? This is where my plant geek side comes out. It is like a grain, but all of my research says that it is actually the seed of a plant related to spinach. It is a really good source of protein and is reported to be a better protein because of the amino acids. There are a lot of other really good things in quinoa and it's one of those food you feel like earned you a gold star for eating well.

Tonight - two gold stars - one for being good for you and one for being a good tasting meal!

Black bean and tomato quinoa

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup quinoa

1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 medium tomatoes, diced

4 scallions, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together lime zest and juice, butter, oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve each time. Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 2 quarts water), uncovered, until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in sieve, then set sieve in same pot with 1 inch of simmering water (water should not touch bottom of sieve). Cover quinoa with a folded kitchen towel, then cover sieve with a lid (don't worry if lid doesn't fit tightly) and steam over medium heat until tender, fluffy, and dry, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and remove lid. Let stand, still covered with towel, 5 minutes.

Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-and-Tomato-Quinoa-238939