Heaven at its chunk chewiest

Can't be coincidence that bagels are shaped like halos. They're surely a treat fit for angels.

As snacks go, a whole-grain bagel gets mighty close to heaven. And I prefer my heaven toasted, with a smearing of low-fat cream cheese and high-fruit jam.

Mmm. Warm, with a slight crunch. Creamy. Fruity. Sweet. It's all there.

As for the bagels themselves, the seedier the better. I particularly love the "Mueslix" variety from Fairmount Bagel in Montreal, the city's original bagel shop. (Check 'em out at fairmountbagel.com.)

Sadly, it's tough to find a great bagel here on the extreme east coast. So when I'm in Montreal, I buy a dozen — fresh from the oven — and cart them home on the airplane.

Once in my kitchen, I slice the beauties in half and store them in the freezer. It is then a simple matter, whenever I have a hankering, to take one down and pop it in the toaster.

If you've never enjoyed a premium bagel, I encourage you to hunt some down. They're worth the effort, the kind of thing worth paying a little extra for.

Come to think of it, I once tried my hand at a homemade batch, way back when. They turned out pretty well. Perhaps it's soon time to have another go.

Embrace your inner ape

Mmm, banana split. What memories. The very words set my mouth to watering.

Back when I was a kid, banana splits represented the pinnacle of the dessert realm. They were the kind of treat one received on birthdays or the reward one reaped for scoring A-s on a report card. The stuff of legend.

These days, I rarely spy them on menus, rarely hear them mentioned. What happened? Are all our contemporary desserts so darn great?

Bananas just mesh so well with the taste of ice-cream (or frozen yogurt), you know. On top of that, banana's are a great source of potassium. And they're cheap to boot.

Another fab thing is that banana splits invite invention, improvisation. They are meant to be customized to your heart's content.

So if you are inspired to make one today, adorn it lavishly. Decorate it to suit your mood.

Bear in mind, though, that it is nice to vary not only taste, but color and texture. For example, crumble on some chocolate wafers to contribute crunchiness and to stand in contrast to the smoothness of your chosen ice-cream.

Now, on your mark. Get set...  Go!

Banana split

Ingredients

• frozen yogurt (vanilla might be best)
• banana (or two)
• nuts (select your favorite)
• chocolate sauce (or melt a block of dark chocolate)
• grains (a sprinkle of flax, hemp, etc.)
• flourishes (e.g. plantain chips, chocolate chips, jam, breakfast cereal, M&Ms, freshly whipped cream)

Directions

Come on, you don't need directions. Use your intuition. Assemble your split as artistically or as riotously as you wish.

You heard me, be brave. Slice up some bananas and toss in the kitchen sink.  :‍-‍)

Be a mobile barista

You're craving freshly brewed coffee, but find yourself away from home, no coffeemaker at hand. And no Starbucks or other such java haunt in the vicinity, either. Ever run into this problem?

For me, this scenario frequently arises when I'm backpacking. No electricity. I also choose to leave my clunky bodum at home (it's fragile and drearily heavy).

The solution? You bet I've found a way to get my morning coffee, and it's easier and cheaper than you might think.

Of course, instant coffee has enjoyed a long history, and in recent years more and more one-helping coffee products have appeared.

However, few are tasty. And the ones that are tasty lean toward expensive and heavily packaged (translation: environmentally unfriendly). I've found a far better way.

My solution lies in pantyhose. Yup, I brew my own coffee with a pair of nylons. (How positively MacGyver.)

What you need:

• 1 pair of unused pantyhose
• ground coffee (my current fave is Jumping Bean brand)

What to do

1. starting at the toe-end, snip approximately 5" of pantyhose
2. pour coffee grounds into open end; shake to nestle grounds into the toe
3. tie knot in pantyhose to form "coffee sack"
4. place "coffee sack" into mug
5. pour near-boiling water into mug
6. steep to desired strength
7. remove sack
8. add milk, etc. to taste

In short, this method requires zero specialized equipment. It's low-tech, lightweight, cheap and re-usable.

Best of all, my coffee turns out buttery smooth. Every bit as good (and oftentimes better) than those commercial one-portion packets.

Tips: 

• Best to grind beans as close to use as possible. 
• If you decide to make yourself a second cup, resist adding new grounds to old. Toss the old grounds — Mother Earth'll love 'em — before adding new.

Next up: How to grind your coffee beans between two beach stones. (Ha, only joking!)

Brownies ... with a kick

Brownies are one of the all-time deeply satisfying snacks. And so simple to make.

These are full of whole-grainy goodness. They also carry a kick — in the form of dried chilies.

Whoo!

Chili brownies

What you need

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 cups brown sugar (lightly packed)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup multigrain flour
• 1 Tbsp dried chilies (finely chopped)

What you do

1. Beat eggs.
2. Add all other ingredients.
3. Mix, then pour into 9x13" pan (oil-coated or parchment-lined).
4. Bake 20-25 minutes at 325°F.
5. Cool, cut into squares, remove from pan and cool further on cooking rack.

Take care not to overbake 'em.

When they're done, store in an airtight container. Assuming, of course, there are leftovers.  :‍-‍)

(Thanks go out to my friend Beth for prompting me to post this recipe.)

Still more waffling

Been searching for a snack or dessert that's different from your usual?

Then, oh baby, take a stab at these beauties. Coconut + chocolate = Mmm.

Coconut-Chocolate-chip Waffles

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 cup multigrain flour
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup dark-chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened coconut
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar

Makes approximately 5 waffles.

How

1. Heat waffle iron.
2. Beat egg until fluffy.
3. Beat in remaining ingredients (just until smooth).
4. Pour batter onto waffle iron.
5. Cook approx 5 minutes, then remove. 

Because of their sweetness, these golden-brown waffles are more suitable as a dessert than as a breakfast item.

And for those of you who like things even sweeter, you can drench 'em in maple syrup.

Party heart-y: the icing on the cake

Without icing, a cake is hardly a cake.

Here's the icing I made for yesterday's Chocolate Valentine's Cake. This icing is a ganache, which is typically made by pouring heated cream over dark chocolate.

Of course, my method is bare-bones, extremely simple to pull off. But the end product is no less yummy.

Ganache Icing

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup milk
• 8 oz chocolate (bittersweet, chopped)

Directions

1. Bring milk to boil, then lower heat to simmer.
2. Add chocolate and mix for 30 seconds.
3. Turn heat off, but continue stirring until chocolate is melted and icing is smooth.

Now you're set to smear.

Party heart-y ... with chocolate Valentine's cake

February 14th has long held double meaning for me. You see, my sweetie's birthday is the day before Valentine's.

Of course, I almost always make a cake for his birthday. And it's almost always a Valentine's cake.

(That's what I like about cake. So versatile. So willing to go the extra mile.  ;‍-‍)  )

Construction of my Valentine's cake is simple. I build the heart shape by:
1) baking two cakes — one is square; the other is round
2) cutting the round cake into two halves
3) joining the half-circle portions onto adjacent sides of the square cake.

Voila, one lovey-dovey heart.

Chocolate Valentine's Cake

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate (typically, 2 squares from baking chocolate)
• 1/2 oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup multigrain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder

Directions

1. Beat eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
2. Place chocolate and oil in microwaveable bowl. Microwave at half-power for 2 1/2 minutes, stirring at half-way point to break up chocolate pieces.
3. Add chocolate-oil mixture to beaten eggs. Stir.
4. Add sugar. Stir again.
5. In another medium-sized bowl, mix flour and baking powder. (I measure the flour in a 2-cup measuring cup and just add the baking powder to this. It saves me — er, my loved one — from washing an extra bowl.)
6. Measure milk. Add vanilla to milk.
7. Stir milk and flour mixtures (by thirds) into chocolate mixture.
8. Pour into baking pans, one round and one square. (It's helpful to line pan bottoms with parchment paper and spray sides with oil).
9. Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes.
10. Cool (in pans) for about 20 minutes.
11. Remove from pans. (Easiest to invert pans on cooling rack.)
12. Cool thoroughly, then apply icing.
13. Store in fridge (with or without icing).

Tomorrow I'll pass along the icing recipe.

Soup's on

Lentil soup makes a great snack. It's quick to make, yet so substantial, so comforting — the kind of thing that's nice to savour following an afternoon of snowshoeing or skating.

All the same, my favorite thing about lentil soup is sipping white wine while sauteing the garlic and onions. My second favorite is just to pull a bowl from the fridge, as leftovers, and nuke it.

This version of the recipe comes from a long-time friend. But tons of variations are possible. (Examples are given below, to get you started.)

Lentil soup

Ingredients

• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 19-oz tin of tomatoes (stewed, Italian style, with juice)
• 1 cup red lentils

How

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil.
2. Stir in broth, water, tomato and lentils.
3. Bring to boil.
4. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring often.

Start-to-finish is about 40 minutes.

Oh yeah, some optional ingredients:

• Italian herbs
• tamari
• chicken broth (vs. veggie broth).

We really like adding:

• bay leaf
• white wine
• Louisiana hot sauce
• fresh lemon juice.

Whichever way you decide to serve it up, enjoy.

And no pressure: you can skip the snowshoeing and skating.   ;‍-‍)

More waffling

You'll recall that we recently bought a waffle iron as an anniversary present to ourselves. I've since spent many happy hours playing around with waffle recipes and food combinations.

Banana and chocolate chips are one such combo. And the recipe is super-simple.

Banana chocolate-chip waffles
Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 cup multigrain flour
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 banana (smashed)
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Makes approximately 5 waffles.

How to

1. Heat waffle iron.
2. Hand-beat eggs.
3. Beat in remaining ingredients (just until smooth).
4. Spray waffle iron with canola oil.
5. Pour batter onto waffle iron.
6. Cook approx 5 minutes, then remove.

Top them any way you wish. These babies are so delish that you could slather 'em with motor oil and they'd still taste great.   :‍-‍)

I'll remind you that waffles are excellent as leftovers. When you pop these in the toaster — after removing them from the fridge or freezer — the chocolate chips become all melty.

Yum, yum.

The most un-square of date squares

Date squares are one Newfoundland tradition that continues to thrive. You'll find them in many kitchens, most Groc 'n' Confs and in the bakery aisle of every local grocery store.

My Dad absolutely loves date squares, so this is one of my mother's staple recipes. This version, however, is decidedly more me-like.

That is to say, my recipe incorporates wholegrains and walnuts, those nuggets of omega-oil richness. I also removed the refined sugar — entirely. Dates are so potent, they serve to sweeten the whole cookie.

Another modification I credit to one of my nieces, who has recently taken to making date squares for her Nan and Pop (i.e. my Mom and Dad). Her stroke of genius was to replace the water with orange juice, which gives the squares a zing.

In my case, I used tropical fruit juice (a blend of several fruits) and the squares turned out mighty fine. You can use pretty much any kind of juice, provided it's all-fruit and contains at least some orange.

Date squares

Ingredients

Date filling:

• 3 cups dates
• 1 cup orange (or orange-based) juice (unsweetened)
• zest of orange (medium-sized)

The "crust" (i.e. top and bottom):

• ½ cup walnuts
• 1½ cups multigrain flour
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 cup twelve-grain cereal
• ½ cup butter (cut into approx 6 pieces)
• ¼ cup canola oil

Directions

Date filling:

1. Place dates and juice in medium saucepan. 
2. Heat on low-medium heat, covered, stirring as needed until dates are soft and most juice is absorbed/evaporated.
3. Remove from heat.

"Crust" mixture:

4. Place walnuts in food processor. Whir ‘em into walnut dust.
5. Add flour, soda, cereal, butter and oil.
6. Pulse until thoroughly mixed.

Putting it all together:

7. Line 8x8” plan with parchment paper.
8. Place half of "crust" mixture into pan. Press evenly with back of large spoon, until the surface is even.
9. Spoon out date mixture. Spread evenly over "crust" mixture.
10. Spoon other half of "crust" mixture on top of date mixture. Work gently to finesse this top layer of "crust", spreading it evenly over the date mixture. (If a little date mixes with the "crust", don’t despair. Imperfection = character.)
11. Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes.
12. Cool before cutting. (Scalding-hot dates on the tongue will surely lead to next-day regret!)
13. Refrigerate in tight-lidded container.

Oh yeah, and share at least one with your folks. And/or someone else's folks.   :‍-‍)

Testing, testing ...

It's winter here, of course, and we went camping — in our backyard. (Downtown St. John's. Ha.)

Chose the backyard because we were testing some new gear. A spiffy 4-season tent and, just for me, a sleeping bag. The bag is down-filled, rated to -‍20°C (that's -‍4°F. Brr!) and super snuggly.

We've had a reasonable amount of snowfall lately and it has hung around, the first real chance to enjoy the snow all season. So a great time to trial our new stuff. We're planning to use it farther afield over the next month or two, so being confident about the gear is important.

Anyway, on to the food. Even though I was camped only fifteen paces from my house, I brought along a few snacks.

In part, my stash was simply designed to up the enjoyment factor — nothing says "cozy" like a bedtime munchie-munch. But there was a more practical purpose behind the snacks, as well.

The body needs energy for generating heat (among other things). And you get this energy from food. So when out in the elements, it makes sense to gobble down a pre-bedtime snack and to have extras handy in the event you awake less-than-toasty in the middle of the night.

Here's what I brought:

• peanuts (dry-roasted)
• date square (homemade)
• plus a thermos of fennel tea.

Notice that my snacks contained a high fat-count. Fats are ideal for when you're braving cold temperatures, because fats are relatively slow to digest. That means their energy benefit is played out over a relatively long period (vs. used up all in a burst, as calories from simple carbohyrates tend to be).

But besides all that, these snacks were just yummy. Comforting, yummy and fun.

And what other rationale does one need?

Goin' sweet on me?

Few can resist the charms of fried potatoes. Whether served as a side dish or snack, they're marvelous, majestic, magnificent.

Mmm, fried potatoes. Could one possibly do better?

Turns out the answer is ... Yes.

Instead of fried, go with baked. That's a surefire way to cut fat. And potatoes? Yup, you can improve on those by going sweet.

Here's a recipe that rivals the taste of french fries by doing them much, much smarter.

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Sweet-Potato Wedges

1. Leave skin on, but cut away eyes and blemishes. Scrub well under running water.
2. Slice into wedges. Place in large bowl.
3. Add canola oil (several tbsps) and spices (see Spicing 'em below). Toss.
4. Place in oiled baking tray.
5. Bake for 30 min at 375°F (see Tip A). Flip after 15 min.
6. Serve lightly salted.

Spicing 'em

• My preferred options include: black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, wine vinegar, dijon mustard, hot pepper sauce and/or cumin.

Baking tips

• Tip A: The smaller your wedges are sliced, the lower the baking time and/or temperature. Experiment.
• Tip B: Placing wedges skinside-down on tray will reduce scorching, and may eliminate need for flipping.
• Tip C: Lining tray with parchment paper will lessen clean-up.

Serving suggestions

• Try malt vinegar. Sour cream. Salsa. Grated parmesan.

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Just what makes sweet potatoes so darn smart?

Compared with other vegetables, sweet potatoes rank tops in food value. Especially high in vitamins A and C, along with calcium, they are also a good source of B vitamins, protein and complex carbohydrates.

In case you were wondering, much of this tasty tuber's goodness lies in the skin. To peel is to lose nutrients.

For your next snack, give these wedges a whirl. Fresh from the oven, they are amazing. And they're surprisingly scrumptious as leftovers, hot or cold.