Just Beet It!

The second healthy food on my list are beets. Just look how beautiful the color and texture of a beet is:

I'd never really worked with beets before. I do not like pickled eggs and I believe that's how most people consume beets but I just can't go there.

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Instead I found a beet and horseradish dip in the January O magazine and thought I'd give it a try. You're probably thinking, that doesn't sound good (because that's what I was saying) but turns out it's pretty tasty! The horseradish is very subtle.

1 medium beet
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon salt - I used sea salt so I added a pinch more
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped chives or dill - I did not add herbs simply because I didn't have any on hand.

Peel then grate beet on the largest grating blades of a box grater. Mix all ingredients together. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving to let flavors meld. Keep refrigerated. Serve with chips or, as my one taste tester suggested, with sliced baguette. May by even good served atop a steak!

I just love the pink color!

Why the beet is good for you:

• high in folic acid
• high level of anti-carcinogens
• contains betacyanin which is the red pigment that is obsorbed in the blood stream and can increase the oxygen carrying ability of blood
• high in good carbs and low in fat
  

Just be careful.... even though the color is pretty they have evil intensions... they stain your hands and clothes very quickly!

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My First Blogiversary celebrated with Blueberry Orange Muffins

This time 365 days ago I sat down to write my first blog post on Hope in the Kitchen. 187 posts later, I am thrilled with the results. I've tried cooking some things I've never cooked before, visited some great restaurants and met some fun people. I hope my writing has been a source of entertainment for you all, if nothing else.

It is my 2010 New Year Resolution to publish more posts. Since I've met Adam, our lives have been so wonderfully busy. And then we added to our little family when we brought Baxter home 6 weeks ago. I just get caught up with the greatness of my friends, family and boyfriend, that I don't make time to cook. I'm going to work harder to spend more time in the kitchen with my trusted (and handsome) assistant and our little (but growing quickly) pup at our feet waiting for scraps to fall (sometimes directly into his mouth).

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I want to do a series on 20 Healthy Foods. I was thinking 20 Foods in 20 Days but then I got to thinking harder, and more realistically, then reconsidered. So this 20 foods project will be featured along with a recipe but it may take more more than 20 days. These 20 Healthy Foods series is inspired by an article in Oprah's January 2010 edition of the O Magazine.

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Today is the first day of 20 Healthy Foods and I am featuring blueberries, which are packet full of wholesome nutrients. Maybe muffins aren't the best way to eat these sweet little bluies, but I couldn't resist the recipe.

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In addition to containing high levels of age defying antioxidants, from O I've learned blueberries contain anthocyanins, a plant compound that may have antidiabetic effects. Also, through new research, blueberry nutrients have showed to protect heart muscle from damage.

So this morning I was feeling extra ambitious and surprisingly woke up at 6 am to make blueberry orange muffins. These rather healthy muffins are less sweet than traditional blueberry muffins and have a rather long and diverse ingredient list. The use of brown sugar makes the sweetness more pleasant than white sugar.

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Adapted from Eating Well.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries (I used Dole frozen blueberries, thawed)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 12 muffin tin with liners.

Whisk all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Whisk egg, egg white and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Add yogurt, orange zest, orange juice, oil and vanilla; whisk until blended.

Make a well in the dry ingredients; add wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with granulated sugar. Bake until tops are golden and spring back when touched lightly, 20 minutes - be sure not to overbake because they will get very brown very quickly. Carefully remove muffins from pan and let cool on cooling rack.

Made sure not to let too much of the liquid from the bag of frozen berries into the batter.

New Years Photos

In addition to the special treats in my previous post, we celebrated the last hours of 2009 with some delicious drinks in holiday glasses...

Some of us grew a bit bored of waiting for the mindnight hour to arrive...

Some of us enjoyed a game of Parcheesi. We made up the rules of blockades, giblets and prawns as we went along...

Then the new year finally came!

We celebrated with friends...

Happy New Year to all!

Can't wait to see what 2010 brings! :)

I resolve to write more blog posts. You?

Looking for delicious snacks?

Look no farther! Here are three yummy and easy snacks that are perfect for parties or as an anytime snack.

With the help of Our Best Bites, one of my new favorite food blogs, I made two special treats for our New Years Eve party: a cheese ball and cinnamon bun popcorn.

First, the cheeseball:

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened

2 c. (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions

2 tsp. seasoning salt

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained very well

1/2 c. chopped walnuts - the original recipe calls for pecans but I only had walnuts

*The recipe also calls for 1/4 cup chopped green pepper, but I didn't have any so I omitted it

Mix all ingredients except the nuts together. I started with a spoon but found that using my hands was most effective. It's very important to mix everything very well so you don't get a mouthful of pineapple or green onions :)

Form into a ball. Place nuts on a plate and roll the ball to coat. You may need to press the nuts into the cheese to help them stay put and ensure the cheese ball is fully coated. Refrigerate until serving.

Next, the cinnamon bun popcorn. Oh sooo good! I was originally going to bag this up for party favors but decided to leave it out in a big bowl.

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12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels or I used microwave popcorn)

1 C pecan halves, roughly chopped

1 C brown sugar

3/4 t cinnamon

1/4 C karo syrup

1 stick real butter (1/2 C)

1 t vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

3 squares almond bark (about 4 oz) - I used the white chocolate wafers from the bulk bin but because there was hardly any left, I had to use some dark chocolate on some of the popcorn. See pictures below.

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Preheat oven to 250 degrees

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Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside.

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Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup over the top of everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.

Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam and rise.

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Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir very well so everything is well coated.

Spread popcorn mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

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Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread out on a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil.

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Melt almond bark according to package instructions. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks.

And for the buffet table centerpiece, I made a chocolate covered strawberry tree. I didn't have enough strawberries to fill the tree so we had to lop off the top of the styrofoam cone so it looks more like a squat shrub. I got the inspiration from a blog called Everyday Celebrating. Check it out!

You make your chocolate covered strawberry with good dipping chocolate, put a styrofoam cone in a pot or urn and use toothpicks to secure the strawberries and kale. So easy and fun!

Most of the stawberries were flat where the stem was so they would lay point up while the chocolate hardened. Some did not and they have a flat side and don't look all that pretty but they still tasted delicious!

Jambalaya

The week of Christmas Adam had off of work and suggested jambalaya made in the crock pot. So I looked around for a good recipe, combined a few together to make what you see below. The night before we chopped the veggies and meat and the next morning we mixed everything together. Adam was in charge of turning on the crockpot, adding the shrimp and cooking the rice. He did a fine job :)
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We used Adam's Dad's homemade venison sausage (about 2 pounds of it) and 2 pounds of jumbo shrimp. I was nervous there wasn't going to be enough of liquid/sauce but there was plenty. The recipe calls for 3 pounds of meat total but feel free to add more if you have it. This also reheats nicely the next day.
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1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
2 (16 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
a few dashes hot sauce
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound frozen peeled shrimp
cooked rice - Minute Rice does the trick!
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In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, garlic & thyme.
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Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low. Stir in the shrimp during the last 45 minutes of cook time. Stir in cooked rice before serving.
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Photo from Adam's iPhone

Mini Country Loaves

Since we were snowed in last Saturday, I decided it was as perfect a day as any to bake some bread. The last time I attempted homemade bread, it did not turn out well - just not the right taste. But Saturday must have been my day because our little loaved turned out splendidly! I think I owe it to Adam's superb kneading skills.

Our pans were bigger than the recipe calls for so we did 3 loaves instead of 4. I am just disappointed I did not double the recipe because the loaves were gone in no time!

Also I did not have a food processor to use. I used a mini chopper to pulse the oats into flour but the rest I mixed with a wooden spoon and it worked perfectly!

From the December 2009 Country Living Magazine....

Mini Country Loaves
1 package dry active yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
2/3 cup warm (110°F) milk
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats plus 2 T more for sprinkling
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup (up to 1/2) warm water
1 egg white, lightly beaten


In a medium bowl, combine yeast, sugar, 1 cup flour, and milk. Cover bowl with a towel; let yeast mixture rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Using a food processor, grind oats into a fine flour. Add sea salt and remaining 2 cups flour; pulse to combine. With motor running, add yeast mixture, egg yolks, and olive oil. Drizzle in water until dough forms.

Remove dough and knead on a lightly floured surface until supple, about four minutes. Place in a large, well-oiled bowl, turning dough to coat with oil. Cover bowl with a towel; let dough rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Punch down dough and knead for 1 minute. Divide into 4 equal portions; shape into loaves to fit into 5 3/4- by 3 1/4- by 2-inch pans. Cover pans with a towel for 20 minutes.

Place loaves on baking sheet, lightly brush tops with egg white, and sprinkle with remaining oats. Bake until golden, 25 minutes. Cool completely before bagging or wrapping if you're giving as a gift!

Adam kneads away!

Final products! I actually could have made only 2 as you can see they didn't fill up the pans. If once they're out of the pan, they look cute!

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

Here is a delicious and easy pasta dish from my friend Mary. The balsamic vinegar and touch of brown sugar gives it a subtle sweetness that is quite different. Chicken and other veggies (like peas) can also be added to the dish.

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1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound penne
1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss w/ the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 mins.

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Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

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Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Serve with additional Parmesan

Alouette Feta and Bacon Stuffed Chicken

A few months ago, the wonderful folks from Alouette cheeses found my blog and offered me some free samples of their products to cook with and review. Well I've finally (I'm a mom now, you know) gotten around to picking up some of the cheese and used it in a recipe last evening. I was reading a magazine (which magazine and what issue - I have no recollection) and found a recipe for feta and bacon chicken but didn't remember the exact directions so I made it up as I went. Here it is for 2 people:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (if thick, pound out a bit)

olive oil

garlic powder

dried oregano

salt and pepper

4 Tablespoons Alouette Feta Garlic and Herb Crumbled

4 strips bacon, cooked (important to cook it before stuffed in the chicken so it's nice and crispy with the tender chicken and creamy cheese)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place chicken breasts on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil - about a Tablespoon per breast. Season both sides of chicken with garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper.

Place 2 T cheese crumbles on each piece of chicken and top with 2 pieces bacon - you'll have to half the bacon slices. Fold breast over and secure with toothpicks.

Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Delicious feta! And the crumbles were large - I love that! Makes it easier to work with.

Before baking. I used 3 toothpicks for each piece of chicken.

The finished product served with sauteed broccoli.

Stone Mountain Wine Cellars

A few weekend ago, Adam, his mom and I drove to the Stone Mountain Wine Cellars in Pine Grove. We picked out three bottles of wine - Reisling, Merlot and Strawberry. We had the strawberry wine right after we bought it and to be honest it wasn't my favorite. It was too sweet and almost had a mediciney tinge to it. But over this past weekend we drank the Merlot. It was wonderful! Not too dry and not too sweet - a great wine by itself, with a meal or with dessert. Since I'm a big fan of Reislings, I'm looking forward to Stone Mountain's creation.


The shop is also full of seasonal produce and wonderful recipe cards - not to mention free samples (I tried a delicious miniature pear)!


I know for sure I want to go back here to sample a few more of their wines!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I had intended on making this for Thanksgiving as an appetizer along with the peanut butter sandwich cookies but I wanted to spend as much time as I could with the pup. Then I wanted to make it Saturday for some friends but once again, the cuteness of little Baxter won me over. I finally made it on Sunday for a lunchtime treat. I've been making this for years now. I started making it in college for parties. It was, and is, always a hit!

1 package frozen spinach

1 can artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayo

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Place spinach in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 5 minutes. Once the spinach cools to the touch, squeeze all excess liquid out and place in a large bowl. To that bowl add the chopped artichoke hearts, sour cream, mayo and Parmesan. Stir until well mixed. Put into baking dish and spread out evening. Then sprinkle with the pepper jack cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Serve with homemade pita chips.

I got this chip recipe from Giada:

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

Cut pitas (regular or whole wheat) into 6 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with dried oregano, salt and pepper. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes until crisp and golden.

The dip and chips. A great party treat!

Pix from Adam's iPhone