Our 2 Year Anniversary!

Yesterday was magical - our two year anniversary... Such a blessing, to be able to look back on all the smiles, laughs, and stories during the 730 days that have flown by since Zach and I first met!

(Part II of skillet biscuits is soon to come, I promise... but I couldn't resist sharing a few details of our blissful day first!)

We started the day by fixing brunch together, of course, and then gave each other our presents... I'd been so excited about giving Zach his present (electronic-tech presents for my incredibly tech-savvy guy, of course :-) I've been counting down until I could finally put the wrapped package in his hands!

I, meanwhile, was surprised with a brand new set of formal silverware (something formerly lacking in our primary-colored plastic silverware! :-)

We couldn't have asked for a more heavenly autumn day on which to celebrate... The unseasonably cold weather we've been having softened just enough, with warm sunshine and a gentle breeze perfect for lingering in, so we spent the day touring a vineyard an hour north of our home.

Just to clarify our rather vague geography, we're Louisiana transplants to Georgia a year ago... and now that we've gotten almost used to living somewhere without palm trees and with snow, we felt properly ready to explore Georgia wine country!

We visited BlackStock Vineyards, and, after a winding drive through the north Georgia mountains, we were greeted with the soft hush of the vineyard hills...

We wandered among the vines,

I took the liberty of hugging a grapevine or two,

and we then savored a leisurely wine tasting that, to our surprise and delight, awed our palates! We were especially enchanted with the Sangiovase and an 04 Merlot.

Afterwards, with the spirit of exploring and the romance of the day upon us, we strolled about in the nearby town of Dahlonega, where the historic Public Square lulled us further away from reality and into quieter times.

Stopping for a purple haze beer (one of our personal favorites!) at a corner pub,

we soon struck up a lively chat with the bartender, who directed us towards a chic, cozy Tex-Mex restaurant for an explosively flavorful supper.

(Where I was caught in a rare moment of wearing my glasses... :-)

I confess I often exceed the speed limit while driving... (sheepish expression) Steering our car back down the mountains on our way home, though, I drove with a lingering sigh...

and woke up still surrounded by our magic day this morning!

Skillet Biscuits, Part I

Every so often, I just get the urge to make biscuits. I suppose it's the southern girl in me, the generations before me that spent countless hours in southern country kitchens, patting out biscuit dough on wooden tables or Formica counter-tops, calling out with a reminder that it's been too long since I've made biscuits.

Usually I follow my grandmother's method, taught to me by my mother and grandmother jointly (with both of them good-naturedly squabbling over whose method of cutting out the biscuits was better) as I stood beside them, just tall enough to reach the biscuit dough.

Some days, though, I make skillet biscuits.

Yes, as a good southern girl I know biscuits aren't supposed to look like this - biscuits are supposed to be light in color, tall in stature, and fluffy-flaky in nature. But mornings do exist when you are supposed to be studying, but instead are faced with an intense inner desire to make biscuits for Sunday brunch (welcome to my world!) - and that's when you make skillet biscuits.

Especially since, with their just ever so slightly sweet taste, and delicate, tender texture, they're perfect for oh so many fillings... (to be revealed in part II and part III...)

Skillet Biscuits

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 T honey
1/2 cup low-fat milk

~ Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tarter, and sugar.
~ Add the beaten egg, the honey, and the milk, and stir until combined.
~ Coat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray, and over medium heat, drop the batter by tablespoonfuls onto the skillet.
~ When one side is nicely browned, turn the biscuit and cook another couple of minutes.
~ Serve warm, with any topping you can imagine...

Brownie Pudding, Part II

What is one to do when you're throwing a dinner party and you really want to experiment with a new dessert, but you already have a big batch of luscious gooey brownie pudding sitting on the counter?

You bake the Honey-Apple-Rum-Raisin-Dark Chocolate cake anyway... and serve it in an ample puddle of brownie pudding!

(topped with whipped cream, of course...)

Honey-Apple-Rum-Raisin-Dark Chocolate Cake

1⁄4 cup golden raisins
2 T spiced rum
2 1⁄4 cups flour
2 1⁄4 tsp. baking powder
3⁄4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 1⁄3 cups raw sugar
1⁄3 cup honey
2⁄3 cup olive oil
1⁄2 cup applesauce, slightly rounded

1 cup dark chocolate chips

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13X9" baking pan with cooking spray.

~ Pour the raisins and rum in a jar, and shake to combine. Let stand for 30 minutes.

~ Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.

~ Beat the eggs, then add the raw sugar and honey and continue to beat until mixture is smooth.

~ Gradually add the olive oil to the egg mixture, beating until blended.

~ On low speed, beat in the flour mixture alternately with the applesauce, in two batches each.

~ Fold in the chocolate chips, raisins, and rum soaking liquid.

~ Pour the batter into prepared pan, and bake for about 30 minutes - until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack or slice and serve from the pan.

~ Serve with brownie pudding and whipped cream...

Brownie Pudding, Part I

Oh yes, this is only part one of brownie pudding, because, really, can one ever have enough brownie pudding?

But perhaps I should explain what brownie pudding is, just in case it appears a contradiction in terms, since, by nature, pudding is of a mailable, fluid-like consistency, and brownies are formed squares, and, since one can't slice pudding or pour brownies, just how can one have brownie pudding?

In recent weeks, we've had a renewed love affair with pudding. Pudding is incredibly soothing, comforting, and perfect for chilly fall nights when one wants to curl up with a bowl of something nostalgic. Pudding also lends itself especially nicely to healthy versions by its very nature, since its smooth texture creates a natural creaminess without even needing cream...

Somewhere along the line of pudding making, it dawned on me that Zach and I both like our brownies rather gooey and fudgy in nature... so what if I made brownies that were really gooey? What if there could be - brownie pudding? Brownie pudding filled with chocolatey goodness and respectably healthy and nourishing ingredients?

Brownie Pudding

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons light, unhydrogenated vegan margarine
5 tablespoons applesauce
1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups raw sugar OR 1 cup raw sugar and 1 cup date sugar
2/3 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt OR vanilla soy yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8X8 baking pan with cooking spray.
~ Toss together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
~ In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the vegan marg.
~ Stir the applesauce, cocoa powder, and raw sugar into the melted marg.
~ Stir in the yogurt and vanilla until smooth. (some beautiful white and black swirls will occur!)
~ Add the flour mixture, stirring until just combined.
~ Pour the mixture into the baking pan, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes - until the pudding is no longer soupy and wobbly, but a knife inserted in the center still comes out gooey. Serve warm, with whipped cream on top!

(We also discovered that brownie pudding layers beautifully with other confections... Hence, Part Two to follow soon...)

Apple-PearSauce and Friends

I am truly blessed to have friends who are willing to spend an afternoon in the kitchen - friends who understand that "hey, want to go grocery shopping with me?" is not a request to run my errands, but rather an invitation to a grand tactile adventure. Hence, through the years, my friends have become my culinary instructors as well as partners in kitchen chaos. My incredibly multi-talented friend Kathleen, who can say things like "oh, let me just whip up some garlic-jalapeno spinach salsa," and can then do so while discussing Victorian literature and looking glamorous all at the same time, is partially responsible for the extent of the duration of my inability to cook "satisfactory" meatballs, because she once spent an afternoon showing me how to make The perfect meatballs, and then I spent the next 6 years unable to replicate the unparalleled flavor, tenderness, and texture of that afternoon! Kathleen, may I have a refresher course, please?

When we first met our now very dear camping and cooking buddies Frank and Jen, we invited them over for dinner - and knew we would become fast friends when they offered to bring dessert and then showed up with creme brulee and a blowtorch!

Frank showing Zach his blowtorch technique...

Jen supervising the blowtorching...

Zach trying out the blowtorch...

Zach's creme brulee is caramelizing!

A triumph of blowtorching.

On the opposite side of the kitchen, sometimes low-tech cooking can inspire delicious ingenuity. My aforementioned college roommate Lisa taught me how to make the most soothing, cozy dish of all time - homemade applesauce, prepared in our dorm room. With nothing but a tiny fridge and a microwave to serve as our kitchen, Lisa turned a bowl full of perfect pink lady apples into the most intensely flavorful applesauce I'd ever tasted.

I use the stove-top now, and I've added a few pears, but I've never stopped fixing Lisa's applesauce recipe...

Homemade Apple-PearSauce

2 T light, non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
2 Bartlett pears, cut into 1" chunks
3 Pink Lady or Golden Delicious apples, cut into 1" chunks (or your own favorite varieties of pears and apples)
1 cup orange juice
2 T cinnamon
1/4 cup honey

~ In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, melt the marg. Stir in the pears, apples, and orange juice and gently cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples and pears are very tender and beginning to break down.
~ Stir in the cinnamon and honey, and simmer for 5 more minutes.
~ If you like your applesauce chunky, you can serve it at this point. If you prefer a smooth texture, pour the apple-pear mixture into a food processor and puree, taking care to allow an exit route for steam, until smooth.
~ Serve warm, for breakfast, a snack, or for dessert... With a dollop of whipped cream on top, it tastes like apple pie in pudding form!

Banana Bran Muffins

I must be either very fortunate or very strange, because my ultimate comfort food is cereal. I love macaroni and cheese, or ice cream, or baked potatoes with sour cream, or any other traditional "comfort food," but when I've had a long day and I'm in need of a soothing supper, what I crave the most is, believe it or not, a crunchy bowl of cereal with splashes of cold milk or vanilla soymilk.

Even stranger? My favorite cereals are bran flakes and shredded wheat. Seriously. I promise. Offer me a bowl of shredded wheat or a bowl of cocoa puffs, and, as much as I love chocolate, I'll choose the shredded wheat every time.

I confess, I do eat cereal in the car, while driving (don't tell the police in our area who might be monitoring my driving habits as I breeze by in the mornings, please!), but I also admit that it's nice to have a more portable form of cereal...

Enter the classic bran muffin, with a bit of a make-over. And if you're not a huge fan of bran flakes? Well, no offense to bran flakes, but even I think that these muffins are way better than bran flakes alone. (and they're vegan!)

Banana Bran Muffins

1 cup bran flakes cereal
1/4 cup vanilla soymilk
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup honey
2 T light vegan margarine
1 T applesauce
2/3 cup mashed banana
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger

~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners, or coat with cooking spray.
~ Soak the bran flakes in the soymilk for 5 minutes.
~ Meanwhile, combine all the other ingredients and stir until just combined.
~ Add the bran flakes mixture, and beat until well-incorporated.
~ Spoon batter into the muffin cups, completely filling them. Bake for 20 minutes - until the tops are set. Delicious warm or cold, by themselves or with a bit of honey or jam...

Crispy Tangy Brown and Green

My college roommate Lisa, a fantastic chef, asked me when I visited her this past summer - "What's your cooking nemesis?"

"My cooking what?"

"Your cooking nemesis! You know, the one dish that that you should absolutely be able to cook, but, for whatever reason, just won't come out right."

Lisa then confessed that her "cooking nemesis" was vegetable lasagna, and I contemplated for a minute...

Yep, until very recently, my cooking nemesis was meatballs. I could make hamburgers, I can fix veggieburgers, but reduce them to the bite-size version and I was doomed. They came out too dry, too bland, too, well, blech. After the last batch a few months ago, I just put them on the shelf... Until, of course, Zach saw a photo of meatballs with guacamole, and, well since we knew at least the guacamole would be a success... It couldn't hurt to try again, right?

Suffice to say, I have to search for a new culinary nemesis. Any suggestions? What's yours? Full kitchen immunity guaranteed...

Crispy Tangy Brown and Green - Meatballs and Guacamole

For the Meatballs:
2 lb. ground pork OR 1 lb ground turkey and 1 lb extra lean ground beef OR 2 lbs vegetarian soy crumbles plus 1 beaten egg
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 T spicy brown mustard
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried
1 tsp cilantro
1 T parsley
1 tsp grated lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste
2 T canola oil or olive oil
~ Mix together everything except the oil, then form into balls approx. 1" in diameter.
~ In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the balls in the 2 T oil, turning occasionally, until they're crispy and brown on the outside and cooked through on the inside. Serve warm or cold, with guacamole!

For the guacamole:
3 avocados
2 1/2 T lime juice
1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder, depending on how hot you like your guacamole
1 T cilantro
salt to taste
~ Mash the avocados with a fork, then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Ideally, chill for an hour before serving with the meatballs or anything else you fancy...

2-Toned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Every time I catch myself starting to think, "fall is truly the season for baking," I remind myself that every new season inspires a flurry of seasonal cooking, which not only includes the produce of the season, but seasonal baking as well... Fruit pies and cobblers for summer, light and airy cakes and cupcakes for spring, holiday cookies and big festive cakes for winter, and, of course, pies, muffins, and breads for fall. (this is not to say that I don't bake all of the above every season, but... It just gives me an excuse to bake more with the arrival of a new season.)

Amidst the "I need a break from studying" baking before the final exams of my last term, and the "wheee, I can spend sooo much time cooking!" flurry during my break from school the past week, I think I've managed to do enough cooking and baking for all four seasons. Amidst it all, I fixed a batch of something one might nearly overlook - the humble, but ever-treasured, classic oatmeal cookie. Since I was about to return to school, and needed something akin to granola bars to bring along as snacks for my classmates and I, and to leave on the kitchen counter with love for Zach's breakfast, this recipe is for an especially healthy, whole grain, cinnamon-laced oatmeal cookie...

2-Toned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 cup light vegan margarine
3/4 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups oats
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dark raisins

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
~ Stir together the flours, baking soda, and cinnamon, and set aside.
Cream the marg and the sugar together until well-blended.
~ Add the applesauce, and cream again.
~ Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, and mix until combined.
~ Fold in the oats and raisins.
~ Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes - until the cookies are just set. Allow them to cool on the baking sheets - or serve them warm!

Veggie-Filled Enchiladas

Enchiladas seem like they belong in the "guilty pleasures" subcategory of comfort food... But... Wrap an abundance of onions, peppers, and corn, together with fat free, homemade re-fried beans, in a hearty whole wheat tortilla, add some lusciously browned lean ground beef or soy crumbles for a nice protein boost, envelop the whole dish with ample puddles of black bean salsa, and... you have a cozy, warming, nutritious one-dish meal, perfect for these gradually crisper, chilly nights...

Veggie-Filled Enchiladas

1 T olive oil1 lb. extra-lean ground beef OR 1 lb. soy crumbles

1 cup corn kernals

1 onion, chopped

1 red or green bell pepper, chopped

19 oz cannellini beans, drained

1/2 cup beef broth or vegetable broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/8 cup cilantro

6 whole wheat flour tortillas

3 cups black bean salsa

1 cup shredded low-fat chedder cheese

~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

~ In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef or soy crumbles. Remove from the skillet, and set aside.

~ In the same skillet, saute the onion, bell pepper, and corn, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is golden. Add the garlic, and saute for 1 more minute.

~ Blend the beans in a food processor until smooth.

~ In a large bowl, stir together the beef or soy crumbles, the vegetables, and the beans. Stir in the cilantro.

~ Spoon approx. 1 cup of bean mixture along the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle some cheese on top of bean filling, reserving enough cheese to top the final dish. Fold sides of tortilla over the filling, making sure they overlap.

~ Spread 1 cup salsa across the bottom of a 15X11" baking dish. Place the enchiladas, seam side down, on top of the salsa. Spoon the remaining salsa over the enchaladas, and top with the remaining cheese.

~ Bake for 20 minutes - until the enchaladas are cooked through and the cheese is thoroughly melted...

Raisin Pecan Bran Bread

As promised, let's talk bread... :-) The first time I fixed this raisin bread for Zach was for The First Dinner, also known as the first time Zach came over for dinner. I was so nervous I even fixed two kinds of bread that day, raisin-nut bread and cornbread, just in case he didn't like one of them! I was momentarily worried as he peered somewhat skeptically at the dense, whole grain texture of this hearty bread, but then he took a bite... finished chewing... looked up... and said "this is the best bread ever! Why isn't this bread in stores so everyone can try it?"

I was so delighted, I fixed the bread every week at Zach's request. A year went by, we moved to another house, and somehow the bread slipped off into oblivion (or maybe we had just finally tired of hearty raisin bread). Until... last week. When Zach requested bread baking instead of dessert baking, I of course asked him if there was a certain kind of bread he wanted. Usually his reply is "surprise me," but this time he looked thoughtful, and then asked, "remember that raisin bread you used to fix me all the time?"

And so, the bread was resurrected. Liberally graced with raisins and pecans, hearty and healthful with whole wheat flours and wheat bran, and just a tiny bit sweet, this bread is heaven. It's a perfect first course with a salad, a filling lunch sandwich bread, or even toasted at the end of the meal for the healthiest dessert ever!

Raisin Pecan Bran Bread

1/4 cup light vegan margarine
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup raw sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup low fat milk or vanilla soymilk
1 T lemon juice
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1 tsp baking soda
1 T cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

~ Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9X5" loaf pan with cooking spray.
~ Stir together the flours, wheat bran, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt, and set aside.
~ Cream together the marg, applesauce, and sugar.
~ Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
~ Blend in the milk or soymilk, and the lemon juice.
~ Stir in the flour mixture until well-combined.
~ Fold in the raisins and pecans.
~ Scoop the mixture into the loaf pan, and bake for 35 to 45 minutes - until the loaf is set and slightly crusty on top. Serve warm, with a bit of vegan marg or butter, or on the go with some peanut butter or almond butter!

*For a Vegan Version, simply replace the eggs with 2 T soy flour and 1/4 cup soymilk, and increase the baking soda to 2 tsp! I bake the vegan version so frequently that I do believe it was the vegan version that Zach first tasted...

(Baking the bread also provided the perfect opportunity to try out my new vintage Fire King loaf pan... :-)