Fruit: A slacker's delight

Snacks need not be difficult to prepare.

Fresh fruit is one such treat — ready-made for your enjoyment and rich for the senses. Think of crunching into a Granny Smith apple, biting down on a succulent mango, gobbling a handful of raspberries or wiping peach juice from a loved one's chin. Mmm.

Aim for fruit that's in season. Choose locally produced, where available. Farmers' markets are great if you're interested in super-fresh, and in minimizing your carbon footprint.

Be sure to pack fruit carefully for the trip home. Keep it away from tins and other sharp-edged items. Upon arrival, store your treasures in a cool area, perhaps in the crisper of the refrigerator.

I keep a wire basket of apples on the dining room table. I like my fruit visible and at hand. Moreover, it makes for attractive decoration.

And edible decorations are tops in my book.  :-)

Mulling over mulled wine

Had guests coming last weekend, so in addition to a few baked treats, I thought I'd try my hand at a mulled wine, a traditional winter beverage.

"Mull" simply describes the process of preparing a drink via heating and spicing. The charm, of course, lies in the drink (usually a wine or ale) being served warm, and in the rich, comforting aroma it gives off.

Just the thing to help turn people's minds away from cold, damp weather.

There are many regional variations of mulled wine and a great many recipes floating about. I've tried a couple of them myself. I was intrigued, though, when I tripped across this recipe by Jamie Oliver.

Hey, from Jamie Oliver. It's gotta be good.

And it was good. Tasted great, in fact. The smell was pleasant, too.

Other pluses were that it was straightforward to prepare and all ingredients were readily available.

The wine was still quite pleasant to sip a day or two afterwards, either at room temperature or slightly re-heated. The wine-infused fruit offered quite a treat, also.

Extra tips:

• While Mr Oliver's directions call for an Italian red, either red or white wine can be used for mulling. Depends on what you prefer, and on what taste you're going after. I'd automatically turn to red, as I generally enjoy reds more.

• For mulling purposes, there's no need to pay dearly for a wine. However, do taste-test your chosen vino — a little heat and a few spices are unlikely to salvage a wine that is just plain dreadful. (I used box wine and it turned out well.) FYI, I'm told that oak-aged wines do not make good candidates for mulling.

• Avoid mulling in pots made of aluminum. This metal will react with the wine's acids, producing an off taste.

Oh, baby: Carrots (follow-up)

Continuing from yesterday, I just did a spot of research on the origin of baby carrots.



Here's the scoop:

Baby carrots really are immature versions of the popular root vegetable. So nobody "invented" them, though specialty growers do breed them for use at this early stage.

But someone — specifically, a Californian farmer by the name of Yurosek — did create baby-cut carrots. These are formerly imperfect carrots trimmed in two-inch lengths so as to resemble baby carrots. And baby-cut carrots are now insanely popular.

No wonder. Baby-cuts are pre-washed, quick to pack, etc., etc. Every bit as convenient as genuine baby carrots — and quite often cheaper. A true marketing triumph.

So, hurray. Baby carrots (whether bona fide or manufactured) are an easy means of upping your raw-veggie quotient.

And any which way you slice 'em, carrots are a great alternative to junk food.

Oh, baby: Carrots

Baby carrots are fast becoming one of my snacking standards. I've taken to carting a handful to work.

Many other veggies beg for delicate handling and packing. Or have pitifully short shelf-lives. Or just plain require too much fuss.

But baby carrots? They're crispy, sweet, convenient. Practically bombproof.

Give me a tomato and it will languish in my workplace fridge. With luck, half may get eaten; half or more will surely rot away. Same for zucchini.

These kinds of vegetables — which I love, don't get me wrong — are just tough for me to eat when they're in an unadorned state. And having to jazz up each and every bite gets tiresome.

But baby carrots I can gobble by the handful, just as they are, so they're gone long before they're at risk. Yup, my hat is off to whoever invented these treasures.

Hmm, that's a good question. Just who did invent baby carrots?

I'll do some research and get back to you. Tomorrow.

More holiday treats: Chocolate truffles

Truffles sound exotic. So much so that I was always too intimidated to try making them, thinking them complex and perhaps beyond my reach.

In truth, chocolate truffles are not difficult at all. I finally made some last Christmas as presents for family members.

Packaged in a gift box lined with colored paper, truffles make an attractive seasonal treat that anyone would be proud to give or, ahem, receive.

Chocolate truffles
Ingredients, per dozen:

• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 3.5 oz dark chocolate, chopped finely (even easier is to use dark-chocolate chips)

How-to:

1. Place whipping cream in heavy-bottom saucepan. Apply medium heat until boiling, then dial down to low-medium.
2. Maintain light boil and stir constantly until cream reduces to one-half original volume.
3. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until mixture is smooth.
4. Transfer mixture into glass container. Refrigerate (uncovered) until mixture is firm (about 4 hours).
5. Scoop up approx 2 tsp of mixture, forming it into a ball.
6. Decorate as you please (see below).

If the amazing taste combo of whipping cream and dark chocolate isn't enough, there are many ways to add an extra flourish to your truffles. Decorating is simply a matter of sprinkling, rolling or dipping.

I enjoy:

• cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• ground nuts (e.g. almonds, pecan)
• coconut
• crystallized ginger

Other options include:

• grated chocolate
• cake "sprinkles"
• powdered sugar
• crushed candy canes.

Creating your own little gems is a blast. I strongly encourage you to give this recipe a try.

Oh yes, you can refrigerate truffles (covered) for up to three weeks. But they rarely last that long.

A sight for soy eyes: Marinated soybeans

The next few posts are directed at vegetarians — along with the veggie-curious and veggie-tolerant. Each recipe features soybeans (or soy products).

Soybeans have enjoyed a long history as a food crop. Introduced from Asia to the west in the 1700s, they have, in contemporary times, constituted a significant portion of the diet of many vegetarians.

Despite documented benefits, concern has arisen recently regarding potential health risks of soy. It appears, though, that these problems are most likely associated with extreme dietary practices.

In other words, occasional consumption of soy — as part of a balanced diet — is fine. All the same, it may be prudent to choose less processed forms and to avoid making soy one's sole source of protein.

This recipe, like those following over the next few days, has been clipped from my old cookbook, the one I gave as a gift to Fred long, long ago.

First up is marinated soybeans.



Note: Pre-cooked soybeans may be purchased in tins.

Or you may cook from dried by:

1. soaking beans in water overnight, 
2. bringing them to boil, and 
3. simmering for 3+ hours.

Christmas cookie time

I'm not always keen on the holiday bustle, but now and then it's a real pick-me-up to prance about the oven and crank out some baked goodies. Hard to feel anything but merry when the ginger and cloves get to wafting through the kitchen.

I love a number of things about these particular beauties. For one thing, they hold just the right gingery bite. The blackstrap molasses kicks in some extra richness, too.  

I also love the texture, especially how the top surface turns crackly, like the bed of a dried-out lake. Even when these cookies are baked to less than a full-on "snap", the multigrain flour imparts a real crunchiness as you bite on through.

Oh, and they're pretty good for you, given how they're multigrain and all. Plus, blackstrap molasses is a fine source of iron, along with calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Ginger cookies
Wet ingredients

• canola oil – 3/4 cup
• blackstrap molasses – 1/4 cup
• egg – 1
• brown sugar – 1 cup (packed)

Dry ingredients

• multigrain flour – 2 cups
• baking soda – 2 tsp
• salt – 1/4 tsp
• ground cloves – 1/2 tsp
• ground cinnamon – 1 tsp
• ground ginger – 1 tsp

Decoration

• white sugar – 1/4 cup

How

1. In large bowl, stir together all ingredients from the Wet list.
2. In small bowl, add all ingredients from the Dry list.
3. Stir Dry mixture into Wet.
4. Form dough into 1" balls, roll in sugar and place on lightly greased cookie sheets (2" between balls). 
5. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 min (or until center is firm).
6. Remove and place on cooling racks.

FYI, my recipe has been adapted from this one.

Nothin' fishy about this tip

In the snack universe, a frequent challenge is to find items that are both substantial and quick. That is to say, items that are filling and healthy, but involve minimum prep and/or clean-up.

Might seafood present a solution? I should say so.

I'm talking tinned fish here. Nothing hard-to-come-by. Nothing fancy-schmancy.

At our house, we keep seafood — and lots of it — in a certain cupboard. Stockpiled and at our fingertips, the trusty tins do service as stand-alone snacks, as supplements to light lunches or as protein dishes suitable for planning meals around.

At the moment, our cupboard holds:

• salmon – 2 tins
• tuna – 5 tins
• sardines – 7 plain, 3 mustard, 1 tomato sauce
• herring fillets – 17 hot sauce, 6 lemon & pepper

(This is not counting the tin of anchovies in the fridge, or the tin of oysters and the tin of herring that got devoured in the last 24 hours.)

Now, I'll confess that Fred dips into the tins more frequently than I do. But I tuck away my share.

Speaking of share, sometimes we do just that, split a tin of herring or sardines between us. Works out just fine.

The pluses really add up: Incredible versatility. Considerable variety (especially when you factor in the many sauces and flavorings). Inexpensive (especially if you hunt at Walmart or dollar stores). And jammed full of healthful goodness.

Oh, and zero prep, zero clean up. Peel back the pull-tabbed lid, enjoy, then toss — or better yet, recycle — the tin.

Glorious.

A sight for soy eyes III: Tofu lasagne

"C'mon, kid, flex those baking muscles. You've got 'em to spare.

"And making lasagne's no burden at all."

That's exactly what I told Fred, when I gave him this this cookbook eons ago.

And it's true today, true as ever.

Here's my recipe for Tofu lasagne:

A sight for soy eyes II: Soy banana muffins

Here's another recipe featuring soybeans — this time, in the form of soy flour.



And soy doesn't have to be boring. Go on, dress up your Soy banana muffins. 

Touting an onion tart

Shot out of bed on Sunday like fizz from a Mentos-stuffed bottle of Diet Coke. Itching to go, I baked Nigel Slater's onion tart.

You can find the recipe on page 279 of his fantastic "Appetite" cookbook. A similar version is available at this link.

I've been baking since I was a sprout, but this was the first time I've used puff pastry. Largely because I've tended to avoid butter. 

But I've warmed somewhat to butter and other rich, natural foods. From what I hear lately, it appears thatprocessed goo (e.g. transfat) is the real culprit when it comes to health problems.

Of course, everything in moderation, as Mom is fond of saying.

Anyhow, here are my observations on Nigel's recipe: 

• Couldn't find pre-rolled pastry sheets, so resorted to a hunk of Tenderflake and a rolling pin. It was actually quite fun to roll out the pastry. And as the onions take 30 minutes on the stovetop, there was more than enough time for it.
  If you're keen on saving some fuss, though, pre-rolled would be worth hunting down.
• If you do set to rolling, be sure to work your pastry thin enough. Nigel says to aim "no thicker than a coin". Unfortunately, I stopped at 25-cent-piece-thin, so my pastry ended up a tad on the beefy side, with insufficient area to hold all of the onions.
  Next time I'll push the pastry to dime-thin. And I'll use either two cookie pans or one extra-large pan (which is on my wishlist).
• Emerging from the oven, my pastry had stuck to the pan a little, even though I had floured the non-stick surface well. Next time I'll modify Nige's directions and try oiling the pan first, before lightly flouring it.

• Camembert worked nicely. But I'd prefer a slightly stronger cheese. I'd be inclined to give Cambozola a try.

• We stored leftover slices in an airtight container, separated by paper towels. That kept the pastry from getting soggy.
  And wouldn't you know, this tart tastes quite fine the next day.
• Finally, be aware that this recipe is onion-heavy. If you're anticipating facetime in mixed company (i.e. with the onion-averse), then it may be best to avoid this tart as your pre-gathering meal.

One cracker-jack recipe

Crackers. They don't just come in boxes. You can bake them, too. In your kitchen.

This is good because:
1) crackers are only the most versatile snack ever,
2) baking them is fun (so simple, and you can really dig in with your hands),
3) it'll totally impress your friends, and
4) the crackers are so much tastier knowing you've made them yourself. 

Rye crackersIngredients

• 1 1/2 cups rye flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• your favorite small seed (e.g. poppy, sesame)

How

1. Dissolve salt in 1/2 cup cold water, then add to flour. Mix with wooden spoon.
2. Form dough into ball.
3. Split dough ball into two balls, placing each on a floured, lined baking pan.
4. Attack dough with rolling pin. Aim to get dough as thin as possible (before it begins breaking apart).
5. Use knife to score into cracker-sized squares.
6. Spray lightly with water, prick with a fork and sprinkle on some seeds.
7. Bake at 350°F for approx 25 minutes (see below).
8. Remove from pan and place on cooling rack.

Baking time will depend on how thin you've rolled your dough. So keep a close eye on the oven, especially the first time you're giving this recipe a whirl.

I broke away some of the outer, thinner crackers after 25 minutes (i.e. areas I didn't want overbaked). The rest I allowed to bake for an addiitonal 5 minutes.

They tasted great warm, especially with a little butter and some berry jam. As for the few I managed not to gobble immediately, when they reached room temperature, I stored them in an air-tight container.

Oh, another good thing about this recipe is that it contains no preservatives. Yay!

Pepping things up with Chocolate Energy Balls

Maintaining energy levels throughout the day is a challenge. For me, nothing packs the punch of these delectable treats.

This snack is highly portable, so it's great for folk who hike or play sports. I'll often cart a few Energy Balls to work, to help combat a mid-afternoon slump.

What's more, these make a fabulous substitute for commercial energy/protein bars -- they're certainly cheaper -- and crammed with chocolatey goodness to boot.

What follows is a twist on a recipe I found at Whole Foods, my favorite grocery store, which unfortunately hasn't yet made it to my corner of the world. (Sigh. A girl's entitled to dream.)

Chocolate Energy Balls

Nutty mixture:

• 1 cup nut butter (e.g. almond, peanut)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

optional:

• 1/4 cup milk powder
• 1/4 cup hemp
• 1/4 cup ground flax

Coating:

• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup nuts (finely chopped or ground)
• 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Add nut butter, honey and cocoa powder to large mixing bowl. Stir with wooden spoon.
2. Stir in raisins and coconut (2 tbsp), then chocolate chips.
3. Refrigerate 1-2 hours.
4. For coating, place coconut (2/3 cup), sesame seeds and nuts in a small bowl.
5. Spoon up nutty mixture and roll into 1-inch ball. Toss ball around in coating mixture.
6. Store in container with tight lid. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Remember, as delicious as any recipe is, a good measure of the pleasure lies in the making -- a taste test (or two), creatively substituting ingredients (more about this in a later post), and licking one's fingers clean. So have a blast in your kitchen.

Who says healthy can't be fun?

Hemp, hemp, hurray! Chocolate hemp cookies

The use of hemp seed as food has exploded in recent years. This doesn't surprise me; its nuritional value is unsurpassed.

Hemp seed provides complete protein. Moreover, it has the highest count of essential fatty acids of any plant, and offers proportions of OMEGA-3 and OMEGA-6 that perfectly suit humans.



Strictly speaking, hemp seed is a nut, which means it is gluten-free. Bonus. Tastewise, I remember somebody describing it as a cross between a cashew and a pine nut.

Of course, all this talk of hemp may be distorting the picture. You see, chocolate chips are good, too. Not so many nutrients and so on, but they can sure make you feel great.

Chocolate hemp cookies

Wet

• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla

Dry

• 2 1/2 cups multigrain flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/3 cup hemp seeds

How

1. mix wet stuff
2. mix dry stuff
3. stir the two mixtures together
4. use tablespoon to drop dough onto two greased baking sheets
5. bake at 325°F for 12 minutes

Attention vegans and/or banana- lovers: You can replace eggs with 1 smashed banana.

Finally, if you're concerned about flunking your next urine test, don't be. The hemp seed used for food is extremely low in THC, the (psycho)active ingredient in cannabis. (Really, now. Nobody kicks up a fuss about scarfing a few poppy seeds, even though the plant they come from is the source of opium.) So these cookies present no danger of messing you up.

Well, I suppose you could eat too many chocolate chips.  :‍-‍)

Muffin love, muffin improv

This all started with a muffin, a chocolate-chip-and-banana gem. My friend gave it to me during one of last year's ultimate-frisbee tournaments. That muffin was awesome.

So awesome that it took everything I could harness to continue on with playing. Baked goods danced round and round in my brain. When I asked my friend about the muffin, he said he had baked it himself, inspired by a recipe from Capers Community Market in Vancouver.

A few months later I had the good fortune to visit the Market in person. Now, it's one of my favorite grocery stores.

Whenever west-coast Canada pops to my attention, the Capers Community Market is the first thing to cross my mind. Can hardly wait for a chance to visit again.

Anyhow, I finally took a crack at the recipe myself — just this morning, when I happened to wake early. Because I was without bananas, though, I used partridgeberries. No biggie.

Fact is, I've lost track of all the modifications that lead to the version of the receipe below. My friend made some changes, and I expect I made more than one, so I can't really say how close this recipe is to the original.

No matter. Today's muffins turned out quite fine.

Capers-esque muffins

Dry stuff

• 3 cups spelt flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt

Wet stuff

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup soy milk (or almond milk)

Big-finish stuff

• 2-3 bananas (ripe, smashed) or approx 1 cup berries
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

How

1. Mix dry ingredients together.
2. Mix wet ingredients together. 
3. Push dry into wet. Fold in fruit and chocolate chips. 
4. Spoon batter into muffin tin (muffin cup liners are helpful). 
5. Bake at 325°F for 30 minutes.
6. Pop out of pan.
7. Let cool, then refrigerate in air-tight container.

Total prep time is 45 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Note that while spelt is not gluten-free, it is more dissolvable than wheat flour, so it's a little easier to digest.