Tag Archives: parmesan cheese

adventures with whole grains: cheesy barley and spelt muffins with thyme

08 Tuesday May 2012

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I adapted this recipe from Lorna Sass’s ‘Whole Grains Every Day Every Way’ cookbook. This delicious recipe uses barley and spelt flour- both of which are easy to find at your local health food store or Farmers Market; unless you mill your own flours as I have been doing since getting the mighty WonderMill last month.

Cheesy Barley and Spelt Muffins with Thyme

1 cup spelt flour

1 cup barley flour

2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teasoon dried thyme

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1-1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (half for the batter, half for the topping)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (F). Grease 12 standard muffin cups.

In a large bowl, combine the spelt and barley flours, baking powders, baking soda, thyme and salt. In a smaller bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Blend in the buttermilk, oil and honey.

Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, just until most of the flour is absorbed. Do not over-mix. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Top with a generous pinch of grated cheese over each muffin. Brush away any cheese that lands outside of the muffin cups.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the muffin tin on a cooling rack. Let cool for a few minutes, then twist the muffins to release them or run a knife around the edges to pop them out. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Note: If not eating the same day, freeze in a zipper-topped freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in a warm oven.

Resource:

Sass, L. (2006). Whole Grains Every Day Every Way.  New York: Clarkson Potters Publishers.

mushroom and pepper frittata

03 Thursday May 2012

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There are so many flavor combinations and ways to make a frittata! For an extra sizzle of salt, try adding chopped bacon or prosciutto ham. Fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano or parsley add a nice tangy layer of flavor. Also, instead of the peppers you can add 1 cup of chopped spinach, Swiss chard or beet greens. A wonderful, heart breakfast or served as an appetizer with a glass of white wine.

Mushroom and Pepper Frittata

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 organic, free-range eggs

half a red onion, diced

half a red pepper, diced

half a yellow pepper, diced

half a small zucchini, diced

8 shitake mushrooms, diced

¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped, for garnish

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven on the broil setting.

In a medium bowl, add the eggs, salt and pepper and beat lightly with a fork. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in an oven-proof nonstick skillet and sauté the onions on medium heat until they are translucent. Add the peppers, zucchini and mushrooms and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Pour the egg mixture over top, cover and cook for 5 minutes, (the top will still be a bit runny and uncooked). Sprinkle the cheese over the frittata and then put the skillet into the oven and broil until the top is fully cooked and the cheese is beginning to brown.

Slide onto a plate, garnish with the chives and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Serves 2 for breakfast or 4 for appetizers.

french bread with organic lavender

02 Monday Jan 2012

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In North America, we often think of lavender as an essential oil and an ingredient in soaps and body products. In French cooking, however, is common to use organic lavender in many different cooked dishes, including breads, pastries, roast meats, and sauces. I often use lavender in French bread, shortbread, in roast lavender-honey duck, as well as adding a pinch to black tea.

French Bread with Lavender

1 oz (or 1 tablespoon) dry active yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon honey (or natural sweetener of your choice)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dried organic lavender

3 cups organic all-purpose flour

1 egg white, beaten (to glaze the loaves)

Place yeast and water in a large mixing bowl and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. If yeast has begun to bubble or foam a little, add the honey, olive oil, lavender and salt and mix together. (If yeast isn’t bubbling, discard as this means that your yeast is dead and your bread will not rise.)

Add 2 cups of the flour, mixing in with a wooden spoon until the dough is smooth. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, incorporating as much of the remaining 1 cup of flour as needed for a smooth, elastic dough.

Place dough into a large, oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to sit in a warm place for an hour and a half (or for one hour in the oven on the ‘proof’ setting).

Punch down dough. Cut in half. Roll out each half on a floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick, then roll up the dough into a long loaf. Make three diagonal cuts in the top of the loaf and place on a baguette or loaf pan. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Place loaf pan(s) in a warm place to rise for about an hour or until double in size. Brush beaten egg white over the loaf just before baking.

Bake in a 375 degree (F) oven for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Instead of baguettes you can always shape these into small rolls. I also sometimes shape these into Funky Breadsticks and serve them in a tall glass vase. Instead of lavender, you can keep the dough plain and garnish with parmesan cheese, poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Or you can add fresh or dried herbs to the dough.