Anniversary Brunch

(This tastes a whole lot better than it looks)


It's been 3 years since the little Asian woman announced us married by haiku in downtown Seattle. We're flying to Chicago in two weeks to really get down and celebrate the occasion, but opted to have a comfortable fall day at home this October 14th. First meal of the day is Vegetarian Biscuits & Gravy on Whole Wheat English Muffins with Cheesy Potato Casserole and some Jackson's in our french press. Although this isn't the most healthy of choices, the meal was fucking wonderful. Now I'm sitting here, completely satisfied with life and love and I blog.



Cheesy Potato CasseroleIngredients:
I bag of shredded potatoes
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup organic sour cream
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
1/2 stick unsalted, organic butter (melted)
1-2tbsp. cracked black pepper
8 oz. shredded organic cheddar

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Put mixture in a casserole dish and back 45min-hour.




Vegetarian Biscuits & GravyIngredients:
1 cup green lentils
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 of yellow onion (diced)
1 small red bell pepper (diced)
1/4 cup carrot (diced, but shredded works too)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 heaping cup of unbleached all purpose flour
1 -2 tbsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground yellow mustard seed
1+ tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp dried sage (crumbled)
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup ranch dressing (I use my extra ranch from Puccinis when we order take out, use whatever)
3-5 tbsp. sriracha (depending on your love for the hotness)

2 whole wheat english muffins (or you can do the whole biscuit thing, but my way is healthier)

Directions:
Bring lentils and 3 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer just until tender (30 min). Drain, and set aside.
Heat oil over medium in large skillet. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper, carrot, and garlic, and cook 5 to 8 more minutes. Whisk in flour, black pepper, paprika, mustard, red pepper flakes, and sage. Stir constantly for about a minute. Add half the milk. Stir until it is well combined (2-3 min). Add the rest of the milk and do the same. Stir constantly until gravy comes to a gentle boil. Remove from heat. Stir in ranch dressing, sriracha and drained lentils.

Split and toast the whole wheat english muffins. I prefer to spoon the gravy on top, but you can pile it and eat it like regular ol' b&g if you want.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

There is this lovely bakery in Indianapolis, Indiana called Rene's. Albert, the owner, is a great guy with some amazing desserts. I fell in love with his fruit tarts a few years ago and he gifted a few hundred of them to us for our wedding reception! They were perfect little treats tucked in between the large cupcake and orchid centerpieces....mmmmm. Well once I moved past the fruit tarts, I found that just about everything he makes is as delicious as the fruit tarts. But by far my favorite item in his kitchen are the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. I have never asked him for the recipe, but here is my own attempt.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup vegan cane sugar
1/4 cup organic canola oil
2 free range eggs
1 cup canned organic pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 - 1 tsp ground ginger
1 -2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 - 1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
( I didn't have clove, but that might be a great addition 1/2 -1 tsp of ground clove)


Preheat the oven to 350. Grease large muffin tin. Whisk sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl whisk together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. Add wet mixture to dry mixture (like you would when making Chocolate Chip Cookies). Do not over mix. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill large muffin cups 3/4 full with batter (should yeild 6 muffins). Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Let cook for 15-20 minutes. Turn out and eat!

Homemade Granola

We've wanted to make granola for a long time. We have been known to order $8 one lb. bags of Milk and Honey Granola from Chicago and of course Marc and D surrender at least a lb. or two every time we visit Taste in Indy. Even though those two midwest cafe's have some tasty granola, there is no granola like our home made granola. It is fucking delicious. And if you want some, just ask. I'll stop some by your crib (until I open a tea shop/breakfast place and you have to come buy it because I've gotten you addicted).

Recipe: (these are approximations, we just throw it together)
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut flakes
6 tbsp ground flax seeds
3/4 - 1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup almonds (sliced)
2 tbsp cinnamon
2 large pinches of sea salt
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4-1/2 cup canola oil
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
4-5 pinches of Love Street Living Foods 100% Raw Rare Vanilla Powder or 3-4 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 + cups dried fruit of your choice (cranberries, cherries, strawberries, apricots, mangoes, raisins, you choose)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet that has a rim with parchment paper (a large cake pan also works). Mix first seven ingredients together in a large bowl (I mix with a wooden spoon). Heat the next four ingredients on the stove on medium until you see little bubbles, stir constantly. Once you see bubbles, turn off heat. Pour the hot stuff on the stuff on the bowl. Mix it all together with that wooden spoon. If you don't splurge on Vanilla Powder, add the vanilla to the bowl last and mix it again. Once mixed, pour it on your baking sheet (sprinkle the Vanilla Powder on top) and put in the oven. You want to pull it out of the oven every 5-7 minutes to stir it like so:



After it gets to the desired browness (25-30 minutes), pull it out of the oven and sprinkle on your dried fruit. Mix it up and let it cool. Then eat and share!

Help A Friend: Emergency Parfait

I recently read something that said if you wish for positive things to happen to you, you should do positive things for others. This is not a new revelation, I try to live by this mantra. It's just nice to be reminded of this. I mean, I can't complain about not getting phone calls if I don't pick up the phone, you know. I believe that you should put good vibes out into the world so they can come full circle. If you haven't noticed, I cook/bake and give a lot. I do this because I love to share. But I have to say that I am a little worried that my 'cook and give' time is closing in on a long pause when this baby comes.

But for the mean time, I had a wonderful 'cook and give' experience this week. My friend Sam Whitaker, who is also a new mom, made a 8am remark about an empty fridge and a appetite. She was calling to borrow some sugar so she could bake the only ingredients left in the house into delicious Chocolate Chip Muffins (which would have taken at least an hour). So, I packed up the Vegan Cane Sugar and made her a Granola Parfait in an old jar.....something to snack on while baking! I thought it was cute so I took a picture.

Acai & Flax Smoothie

So, my friend Lindsey Dobson wrote me about a month ago asking if I had a good smoothie recipe. In true Brooke form, I was excited to share but flaked on writing her back. Lindsey, I have created many great smoothie recipes. In fact, I even have a great juice and smoothie book you can borrow too. But there are two Brooke-created recipes that I use most frequently: Vegan Strawberry Smoothie and my Acai & Flax Seed Smoothie. We make the Acai & Flax Seed Smoothies about five times a week. Acai is a superfood and is ridiculously rich in antioxidants; I use the frozen smoothie packs available at Whole Foods. And Flax Seeds, freshly ground and found in the refridgerated portion of the herb and vitamin section at your local health food establishment, are amazing in regards to nutritional qualities (especially for pregnant/nursing women).

Recipe: (not exact measurements, I just throw it in)

1 cup frozen organic berries
1/2 cup frozen organic peaches
3/4 cup organic vanilla yogurt/vanilla soy yogurt
1 package of frozen Acai
5 tbsp freshly ground flax seeds
1/2 -1 cup unsweetened organic cranberry juice
2 bananas

Just blend. Recipe yields 2 large ass smoothies seen below. Enjoy!

Blueberry Nectarine Muffins, Finally!

Recipe:
2 sticks organic, unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
1 cup organic, unbleached granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp organic, pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (i use kosher)
1 pint of organic blueberries
2 cups organic, unbleached flour (whole wheat flour is even better)
1/2 cup soy milk or dairy milk (i use vanilla soy b/c that is what we always have in the fridge)
1 nectarine, cubed into 1/4 cubes
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar in the raw

Preheat oven to 375. In a mixer with a paddle attachment (or handmixer) cream the butter until smooth. Add sugar and mix. Add eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt and mix just until blended. Smoosh 1/2 the blueberries with in your fists and add to the batter. With mixer running at a low speed add half the flour and half the milk, and mix until just blended. Don't overmix or your muffins will be dense like a loaf...and that's no fun. Repeat with the remaining milk and flour. Add the remaining blueberries and the nectarine. Mix by hand with wooden spoon or spatula.




Butter your muffin pan or line the pan with muffin liners. I prefer to use a pan that makes a larger than traditional muffin, but it only makes 6 muffins. Spoon the batter to fill the cups 3/4 full. Mix the cinnamon with the sugar in the raw and sprinkle over the batter in the cups. Bake about 25-30 minutes. Check them first after 20 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for atleast 30 minutes before turning them out.

Egg Strada and The Bread Fairy

So, we have a bread fairy ! She strikes about two times a week and leaves us wonderful Levains, Cereals, Puglieses, Baguettes and more. So with all this wonderfuI Blue Dog Bakery bread laying around, I make strada a lot. It is super simple and it is a good use of leftover bread. Basically, strada is a savory bread pudding. I usually put whatever is in my fridge in this breakfast delight. I think my favorite combo is grape tomatoes, red pepper, green onion, sweet corn, jalepeno jack, monterey jack and cilantro (seen below).



Before Oven Insertion.


After 3/4 is eaten.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Well, I used Earth Balance for a butter substitute as reccomended by my favorite beautiful vegan Erin for the batch in the photo. But I simply think the muffins taste marvelous with organic, unslated butter. They rise better with butter and are less gooey. J ate them just the same so maybe it's all in my head.

Recipe:
2 sticks organic, unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
1 cup organic, unbleached granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp organic, pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (i use kosher)
2 1/2 cups rinsed, organic cranberries
2 cups organic, unbleached flour
1/2 cup soy milk or dairy milk (i use vanilla soy b/c that is what we always have in the fridge)
Zest of one orange
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar in the raw

Preheat oven to 375. In a mixer with a paddle attachment (or handmixer) cream the butter until smooth. Add sugar and mix. Add eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt and mix just until blended. With mixer running at a low speed add half the flour and half the milk, and mix until just blended. Don't overmix or your Cranberry Muffins will be dense like a Cranberry Loaf...and that's no fun. Repeat with the remaining milk and flour. Add the remaining cranberries and the orange zest. Mix by hand with wooden spoon or spatula.

Butter your muffin pan or line the pan with muffin liners. I prefer to use a pan that makes a larger than traditional muffin, but it only makes 6 muffins. Spoon the batter to fill the cups 3/4 full. Mix the cinnamon with the sugar in the raw and sprinkle over the batter in the cups. Bake about 25-30 minutes. Check them first after 20 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for atleast 30 minutes before turning them out.