mango crisp (on the healthy side)

Yum yummy yum!  I truly loved this dessert.  Fresh natural mangoes enhanced by a delicate, tasty and  uncomplicated crisp topping – this is one of my new favorites.  I mean it.  So easy, so pretty and bright – perfect for a summer BBQ.  My friends agreed especially Marco who was in mango heaven.  I told him excitedly that it was on the healthy side – and he said that was good considering the amount of whipped cream he ate with it.  I ate mine plain – cold the next morning and in my vanilla ice cream the next night and mmm…hit the spot 3 times.  If you are not a mango lover (Sylvie is away and the rest of my family wouldn’t even try this!) you can make it with peaches, apples, pears or plums.  Probably equally as delicious although you won’t get that beautiful marigold hue.  Give this a whirl.  This comes from Mark Bittman’s The Food That Matters which I just love.  His write up states “this was stunning and also stunningly easy.”  He is right.

As with any fruit dessert taste the fruit first.  Your dessert (esp this one) will only taste as good as your fruit.

Enjoy –

Serves around 8.

mango crisp (from Mark Bittman’s The Food That Matters):

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus a tad more for greasing pan.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar (I used a mixture of light and dark)
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (old fashioned, not quick cooking)
2 pinches kosher salt
3 pounds mangoes, peeled, pitted and chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly butter an 8 or 9 inch square, round or oval pan.

With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer or with handheld beaters (or a fork), cream together the butter, oil, and brown sugar.  Scrape bowl, and mix again.  Remove from mixer and stir in the coconut, lemon or lime juice, cinnamon, flour, oats, and salt until combined and crumbly.  (You can make the topping a day in advance and store in fridge.  You can also freeze topping and it will last a few weeks.)

Place the mangoes into the prepped dish and then evenly crumble the crisp topping on top of the mangoes.

Bake until golden and just starting to brown – about 24 – 35 minutes.  This is lovely warm, room temp, and as mentioned above quite good in the AM cold from the fridge too!

matzo granola w/fruits and nuts

My friend Jodi handed me her matzo granola recipe yesterday.  What a treat.  She’s mentioned it over the years, and yesterday she copied it for me in her lovely handwriting and said, “this granola would be perfect for the blog and for Passover…but probably next year since passover is around the corner.”  Well, I didn’t want to wait until next year.  I got to work in the short time I had between school pickup and Andy’s ball game – and it was so easy to pull together.  A cinch.  The granola is addictive (I keep sampling it!), simple, filling and very tasty.  Eat as a snack, on top of ice cream, in your yogurt (so good in Greek yogurt), with milk in the morning, bring to the movies or mix with a few chocolate chips to make a sweet trail (matzo) mix (Sylvie’s idea).  This is great for those who keep Passover — and even those who don’t!  Oh, and perfect for a hostess gift next week.  Enjoy-

Jodi’s matzo farfel granola:

16 oz box of matzo farfel
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups chopped nuts (I chopped pecans and mixed in almond slices)
2-4 cups dried fruits (I used chopped dates — so good, tropical dried fruit medley, and another one that had mixed raisins and cherries)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment or lightly grease.

Beat the eggs and chop the nuts.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl — except for the dried fruits

Spread farfel-nut mixture into single layer on sheet-pan.  It will be a lot.  You can probably use 2 sheet pans (switching racks half way through cooking) – and then cooking time will be less.

Bake for 50-65 minutes stir the mixture carefully – kind of fold it in the oven – so that you brown the bottom as well as the top layers of farfel.  Do this a few times throughout cooking.  Break up larger pieces as it cooks as well.

In the end you want it to be slighly golden and crispy.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Add dried fruits — I like my granola sweet (and there is not a lot of sugar in it) so I added 4 cups of dried fruit – but if you like yours less sweet, use less fruit.

Store in airtight container.

Happy Passover –

banana surprise

Had to re-post these again.  Had to – and renamed them too.  Greg actually came up with this name.  One night he asked – “can you make bananas surprise please?”  I said sure but told him they are called caramelized bananas.  He said no – banana surprise (he’s almost 15 btw).  I asked why the new name and he said well, every time I ask you to make the bananas, you say YES, and I’m surprised each time!  Hence – the name, bananas surprise.  And mind you, I say yes all the time because I love them too!  He cuts them up and mixes into his chocolate ice cream.  Mine go layered throughout my chocolate chip ice cream with jimmies and Sylvie, she eats them plain.  Go get that blow torch from the hardware store.  It is really easy and much less intimidating that you think.  I think Greg is actually ready to make them soon – but for now, I do like the surprise.

The original post with instructions are here.

healthy 5 grain breakfast bowl

Sylvie thinks it’s weird for me to post my breakfast bowl.  She might be right, so just skip over if not for you.  I tend to eat the same breakfast for a while – until I can’t look at it any more…but I’m on a record of probably 10 weeks of this particular mixture of goodness.  I’m thinking it may last a lifetime, but I always think that.  The hot hot hot cereal (cooked with berries) combined with a little cold almond milk (or milk, soy or rice milk) and the addition of fresh cold fruits (the more colorful the better) makes me happy each and every day.  Even though I’m not hungry in the morning I look forward to it and manage to happily stuff it down.  This fills me to my brim – and that prevents me from sampling too many of my sweets in the AM – and from overeating in general.  So…enjoy this – and doctor it up to suit you and your taste buds.  I just finished mine.  Full and happy.  Enjoy-

You can also make this with chopped apples, raisins, dried cherries and cinnamon – especially if you can’t find good berries.

healthy 5 grain breakfast bowl:

1/2 cup hot cereal (I like Old Wessex All Natural 5 Grain Cereal – no sugar)
raspberries
blackberries
blueberries
strawberries
pomegranate seeds (so good if you can find)
and any other fruit – mango is nice, red currants too
1-2 teaspoons sugar (brown is nice) or small bit of Truvia
cold milk (I use unsweetened almond milk – but any milk will do) – use about 1/3 of a cup – or more or less to your liking.

Measure cereal according to package and add water (this one calls for a cup).  Mix in about 4-5 raspberries and 3-4 blackberries.  Place in microwave for 2.5-3 minutes.  The fruits will soften and liquefy to some extent and flavor the whole bowl with berry!

Be careful pulling out as it is very hot.

Sprinkle with sugar or Truvia.

Top with cold milk.

Heap on cold fruits.  Begin eating 🙂

Simple and so so good.

Add flax seed if you like – or wheat germ too.

Enjoy-

coconut tart with chocolate smear (non dairy, flourless and also butter-less))

Rob loved this.  Loved it.  A lot.  He ate slice after slice as it sat on our counter throughout the weekend.  He thought it tasted very rich and creamy despite the lack of butter or cream.  Ali and family too thought delicious – like a Mounds bar.  I’m not a coconut fan, so honestly very hard for me to judge but even to me, it tasted pretty good.  The yummy recipe comes from Mark Bittman’s new cookbook, Food That Matters and wow – what a terrific book!  Thank you mom.  This was very easy to make – a good one to throw together with your kids (or on your own) and serve to guests as well.

The recipe makes one small 9 inch tart.  Feel free to double the recipe and make two if you are baking for a crowd.  Enjoy-

Mark Bittman suggests topping the whole tart with fresh raspberries or cut up strawberries if you want to change it up.

coconut tart with chocolate smear (very slightly adapted from Mark Bittman’s Food That Matters):

2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut (I used sweetened – all I had in the house)
1/2 cup sugar (if using sweetened coconut add only 1/4 cup sugar)
2 eggs – separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup coconut milk (light is OK too)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, mix, together the coconut, sugar, egg whites, vanilla and salt.  Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch tart pan.

Bake until the coconut shell is firm and nicely toasted (nice golden color) about 13-20 minutes – keeping in mind that you will not bake it again.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate, egg yolks, coconut milk and sugar and place over low heat.  Whisk and cook almost constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and steaming.  Be careful – do not let the mixture boil and separate.

When the tart shell comes out of the oven, spread the chocolate mixture into it.  Let the tart sit and cool – and become firm before cutting and serving.  The tart will keep covered and refrigerated for a day or two (although we kept ours on the counter and it held up pretty well).  Enjoy-

banana muffins (healthier version)

These were really really good.  So much better than I expected to be honest.  No butter, eggs or refined sugar!  Andy gobbled these up.  I mean really, he gobbled them.  Almost all of them!  He liked them best fresh out of the oven, all wet and warm.  Sylvie liked after toasting and enjoyed immensely when a little crisp.  (That’s her hand trying to steal one during my photo shoot :)) Alisa thought really nice flavor and Greg too despite his lack of love for things whole wheat said very good!  Our young friend Lauren sliced, toasted, put m & m’s on top and stated “best thing ever”.  (OK, that kind of defeats the “healthier” but oh well, still lots of goodness here).  Jodi thought at bit mushy (it is the applesauce) and yes, the first day they were a bit soft and wet but less wet the next day and thereafter.  Greg’s friend Matt gave these a thumbs up while Jamie commented on the great consistency and Sam liked these – even though he is a reluctant banana eater.  My friend Jill who is into all things healthy for your body and world, urged me to try these, and I’m really glad I did.  She is busy building a site – healthy kids healthy world, and on it are these muffins which were recommended by her co-blogger Jen (morendorfins.com) who found the recipe in Better Than Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookbook-Kids Vegetarian Meals.
I made mini muffins and regular muffins and doubled the recipe.  But this single recipe makes about 12 reg sized muffins.
banana muffins, healthier version (from Better Than Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookbook by Marty Mattare and Wendy Muldawer):
2 very ripe bananas, very ripe
1/2 cup walnut, grape seed or olive oil (I used grapeseed)
3/4 cup real maple syrup
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon water
2 cups white whole wheat flour (or half white and half whole wheat)
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, or chopped dark chocolate (optional, but of course I used)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with liners.
Mix together the mashed bananas, oil, maple syrup, applesauce and water.  In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Pour the dry into the wet and mix gently then add the chocolate and nuts if using.
Bake on center rack until a toothpick comes out clean – these can take anywhere from 15-22 minutes.  So check often.
Enjoy-

oatmeal cinnamon pancakes

“Mom, these are really good!!  I love them.  Thank you!” were Andy’s words as he sampled a new and very tasty pancake.  Yes, another pancake.  I’ve  become oddly addicted to “healthier” pancake recipes and determined to find different and new twists each time.  Alisa and Sylvie shared my photo stack and both like these more than any others.  And me too – I happen to really love these. The oatmeal gives the pancake a great texture and the buttermilk and eggs make them nice and fluffy.  The cinnamon packs in some extra flavor.  Andy was especially impressed that I made these since I hurt my finger.  My right hand of course, which is now making baking (and typing btw) very difficult as I’m in this awkward hand brace.  Fingers crossed no surgery on the horizon, because then – really no pancakes!  Anyway, I won’t bore you with that, but mentioning because these are not only delicious and flavorful, but easy to make (as most pancakes are), so easy that I could make with my left hand 🙂  I read about these in the “enlightened cook – reader recipes” from Kathy Brown in Cooking Light Magazine.  I added a little chocolate and a little more cinnamon to make them a hit here (in our house).  Of course these would be great and healthier with berries instead of chips but chocolate is what we love.  Try these and hopefully  enjoy-

I tripled this recipe and froze the extra for the rest of the week (this triple batch made about 33).

Please use quick cooking oats not the old-fashioned kind.

oatmeal pancakes

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 baking soda
2/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg
chocolate chips or berries (optional)

Whisk together the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl.

In a large liquid measuring cup add the buttermilk and then the butter and egg and lightly mix.

Pour wet ingredient into the dry and mix until just moist.  Add chocolate chips if you desire.

Lightly butter or spray pan and when hot, pour about 1/4-1/8 cup onto pan.

Turn pancakes when tops bubble remove when bottoms are cooked.

Enjoy –

Wrap and freeze extra pancakes in bunches – and re-heat when desired.

cinnamon snack cake (w/some whole wheat flour)

“Mmmmm…mmmm …can you pack this for my snack?” was the first thing Andy said to me after sampling this cinnamon whole wheat cake.  Sylvie said this is “extra good!” and Greg said “so good mom, really really good.”  And Conor, Greg’s friend said “Amazing – and I love that it is for snacking – not just dessert.”  Jason too, my non-chocolate loving friend was in heaven and said “this is right up my alley.  I love it!”  Alisa too – said it reminded her of Christmas but with out all the “awful orange and lemon peel” in the snack cake she ate at home in Austria.  Rob, he was my only one on the fence, although I think he was looking for a true dessert.  This is a basic cake – very easy to make.  No mixer.  Simple and tasty and  warm and inviting.  This cake is a “snack” cake, but it still is a cake with butter and sugar – but I guess the addition of whole wheat flour makes you feel like it is a bit healthier and can then eat as a snack?  Everyone in my house seems to think so!  (I do have it in the “healthier” category – but please note that it is not crazy healthy.  Just maybe better than other rich treats.)  As it baked, the cinnamon scent filled the house making our mouths water in anticipation.  I found this in my new cookbook, In the Kitchen With a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark . It is a wonderful book filled with page after page of delicious recipes – with many savory meals that I’m aching to make.  I’m  drawn to every recipe as each one starts with story or memory that is fully engaging.  Melissa includes the option of  a walnut streusel filling and topping (for this cake) which I’ll try next time and I think will satisfy Rob’s dessert needs – and post it then!  In the meantime, enjoy –

These would probably be great in muffin form as well – or a cupcake if you frost it.

cinnamon snack cake (from Melissa Clark’s book, In the Kitchen With a Good Appetite):

1 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease sides and bottom of a 9×5 loaf pan and line bottom with parchment.

Whisk together the sugar, yogurt, vanilla and cinnamon.  Add the eggs, one at a time and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 flours, the baking powder and soda and salt.

Whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture until there are no streaks and no longer lumpy.

In three additions, gently and carefully fold the melted butter into the batter.

Pour into prepared pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out just clean.  I baked in the center for 55 minutes and 5 minutes on the top rack to brown a bit.  but it could take only 50 minutes depending on your oven.  Just watch and check!

Let the cake sit for 10 minutes on rack – then gently invert onto a wire rack to cool.  Enjoy –

red berry soup (with peaches, nectarines and currants)

I love fruit soups.  I really do.  After a delicious summer meal – it is nice to (sometimes) forfeit that heavy dessert and go for something light, refreshing and healthy.  Well, this is it.  Friends enjoyed this the other night.  Everyone just so excited by fruit!  As I’ve said before, Deborah Madison’s Seasonal Fruit Desserts cookbook is truly wonderful – filled with so many simple ideas that I’m blown away each time I peruse it.  The “broth” is made of a cooked and strained berries and the chunky bits are simply peaches, nectarines, berries and currants.  There is nothing crazy here – but the fruit in a cold fruit sauce – is so much better than fruit alone!  Add a dollop of Greek yogurt to keep it light, or some vanilla ice cream for those looking to add a little richness.  Or as Greg said – some lemon or raspberry sorbet might be nice too.  Lots of choices.  Enjoy-

This serves around 4 people –

red berry soup (from Seasonal Fruit Desserts by Deborah Madison):

soup–

3 cups red raspberries or mixed raspberries, red currants and strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
few drops of lemon juice or rose water
pinch kosher salt

the fruit–

4 peaches or nectarines, white and/or yellow
1 scant cup mixed berries such as blackberries, golden or red raspberries, and currants

garnish–

2 rose geranium leaves with their blossoms, lavender springs, or sprigs of currents (or just serve as is.

For the soup – place the berries in a small pan with the sugar and a half cup water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 90 seconds.  While it simmers, break up the fruit with a masher or pestle.

Turn off the heat and let stand for about 5 minutes and then pour through a sieve.  Using a rubber spatuala, squish out as much juice as possible into a bowl.  You should have about 1 1/4 cups of liquid.

Let cool, then stir in the rose water or lemon juice – and add more to taste if desired.  Add a pinch of kosher salt to taste.  Cover and refrigerate.

To peel the peaches- prepare an ice bath.  Bring a pot of water to boil.  Dip the peaches into the water for 5-7 seconds – then quickly remove them with a slotted spoon and pop into the ice bath to stop the cooking.  Slip off the skins or refrigerate the fruit with the skins intact until needed (if serving later).

To serve, divide the soup into shallow bowls.  Slice the peeled peaches and nectarines and divide among the bowls.  Place the blackberries, raspberries and currents in the bowls too.  Garnish with what you might have available from above.

Add a dollop of Greek yogurt, creme fraiche, ice cream, sorbet – or just serve as is 🙂

Enjoy-