Zucchini Cakes

I teach yoga four nights a week.  That means I either have to eat something before I go or wait till I come back home.  If I wait till I come home I'm tired and don't want to spend too much time cooking. This is where this next recipe comes into the picture.  I found this recipe the other day on Pinterest and thought it sounded good.  My favorite part about this dish (aside from the fact that it's really tasty) is that it took less than 30 minutes to make it from start to finish.

You can find the original recipe here. 

In the fall and winter I made lots of dishes with winter squash.  Now that spring is officially here with summer fast approaching, I'm looking to try out a whole slew of new dishes with summer squash.  I love squash.  It's yummy.  And here's another bonus: it's really good for you too. See what the folks over at Livestrong have to say about it.

ZUCCHINI CAKES

INGREDIENTS:

1 large zucchini, grated
1 large egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Salt/pepper to taste
1 tbsp Adobo spices
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated


DIRECTIONS:

1. Remove excess liquid from freshly grated zucchini by placing them between paper towels and squeezing.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
3. Heat a large pan on medium, and spray with Pam. Shape spoonfuls of the zucchini batter into 2-inch (diameter) patties, and drop onto the sizzling pan. Cook each side for about a minute and a half, or until the outside is golden brown.
4. Finish the cakes off in the oven — stick them on a baking pan and broil them for 1-2 minutes.
5. Serve hot, alone or with ranch dressing.

PERSONAL NOTES:

As I mentioned above, this was an easy and quick dish to put together.  I will DEFINITELY make these again.

The directions state to remove excess water from the zucchini but I didn't see a need for that.  There just didn't seem to be any excess water. 

Instead of using Adobo spices I just used an all-purpose season salt. It worked fine. 

Overall this was tasty as-is.  When I make it next time I'll add 2x the amount of zucchini and cut back on the breadcrumbs by at least 1/3 cup.  I think it needs more zucchini in it, less bread.

Black Treacle Scones

I wanted to be productive during my midday break.  Being productive can amount to a great many things. Today as usual, that meant trying out a new recipe.  And I didn't go through the vast list (or cookbooks) to find this.  No, I went trolling online for something new.  I don't know why I keep looking for new things when there are already so many dishes I want to try out.

Anyhow, I wanted something new and of course something easy.  Enter Black Treacle Scones into the picture.  Original recipe is courtesy of allrecipes and can be found here. 

The last time I made scones I made Cinnamon Streusel Scones.  While they tasted fine and cinnamon-y, the consistency just wasn't what I was expecting.  I'm used to traditional scones like the kinds you'd have with an English tea service.  Served with jam and clotted cream.  You know which scones I'm talking about.  When I saw the recipe for Black Treacle Scones I thought they screamed British!

And here they are...

BLACK TREACLE SCONES

INGREDIENTS:

3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons molasses

1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. 

- In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender. Combine milk and molasses in a small bowl; stir into flour mixture until moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Roll dough out into a 1/2 inch thick round. Cut out circles with a medium biscuit cutter and place pieces on prepared baking sheet so that they are barely touching.

- Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Move to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. For soft scones, cover with a dry cloth for 10 minutes. For crisp scones, do not cover.

PERSONAL NOTES:

I really don't have too much to add to this.  I kept pretty close to the original recipe.  For milk I used skim (as always). 

Oh wait, what am I saying?  When mixing the wet ingredients with the flour mixture it was super dry.  Like, maybe I didn't need so much flour.  In a pinch I used a small bit of fat free Greek yogurt to add moisture.  That worked - and they came out great!

These will be amazing with jam and clotted cream or even with just butter.

Banana Oat Muffins

What do you do when you have a few very-ripe bananas that are on the verge of becoming compost?  You find recipes to make that use these bananas.  Banana bread came to mind but I've been trying to move away from so much bread lately.  Thus, I found the recipe I made the other day (Layered Chocolate Banana Pudding Pie) and this one here for the banana oat muffins.

 It was the perfect thing to make on a weekend morning when I didn't have too much time to bake.  They're yummy and moist.  I would definitely make these again!

BANANA OAT MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

3/4 cup whole wheat flour 

1 cup rolled oats 

1/2 cup sugar 

2 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt 

1 egg 

3/4 cup milk 

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup mashed bananas

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg. Add the milk, oil and vanilla to the egg and stir everything together. Add mashed banana to the wet mixture and combine. Slowly add the dry flour mixture to the banana mixture. Stir until just combined. Divide the batter into 12 lined muffin cups. Bake muffins for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.*

*Please see personal notes below about baking temp & time

PERSONAL NOTES:

*I reduced the baking heat to 375 and baked for about 15-17 minutes.  Even then, I discovered that the muffins were cooked a little bit more than I would have liked.  In the future, I'll reduce the heat further to 350 and check at 15 minutes to see how it's faring.  Baking for 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees is just too much.

Overall, this was an easy recipe to follow.  It's actually one of the reasons I like making muffins.  They're quick and simple. 

Substitutions:  I used applesauce for the oil, Egg Beaters for the egg and skim milk for the milk.  Let me tell you, I always give fresh muffins to my husband and he loves them; he never knows that I make the subsititutions.  I think it's funny.  But really, I think it's a smart way to lighten the recipe and still be able to enjoy a yummy treat.

Layered Chocolate Banana Pudding Cake

Thank you Weight Watchers for putting together some yummy desserts that I can enjoy and not be all like, "Whah, I'm swearing off chocolate until I drop 5 pounds." Thank you, thank you, thank you! So this is a dish like that - eating something that tastes more sinful than it actually is.  Well, to tell you the truth I fattened it up a little bit by using some Oreos, but that was a total mistake on my part because I didn't have enough of the other cookies (graham crackers) that were preferred.  Oh well. 

I decided to make this dessert today for two reasons.  One: I took a two-hour Ashtanga Yoga class this morning so I worked hard enough to earn this and Two: I had a couple of bananas that were on the verge of not making it and I wanted to use them before having to toss them.  I really don't like wasting food.  It's well... it's a waste! And the other thing is I wanted to try something that required no baking.  I know that's typically a summertime thing, but I felt like doing it now.  Besides, it's getting warm out here...

Before I get into the recipe details, I just want to let you know that this dessert comes from the new (or new-ish, I don't know) special recipe edition of Weight Watchers magazine.  It's Weight Watchers Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes.

LAYERED CHOCOLATE BANANA PUDDING CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups 1% low-fat milk

1 (1.4 oz) package sugar-free chocolate instant pudding mix

2 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed and divided

11 chocolate graham cracker sheets, divided

3 ripe bananas, sliced

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine milk and pudding mix in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk 2 minutes or until thick.  Let stand 5 minutes. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping.

2. Place 5 graham cracker sheets in the bottom of an 11x7-inch glass or ceramix baking dish.  Spoon one-third of pudding mixture evenly over graham crackers; top with half of bananas.  Spoon another third of pudding mixture over bananas; top with 5 graham cracker sheets.  Spoon remaining third of pudding mixture over graham crackers; top with remaining banana slices.  Spread 1 cup whipped topping over bananas. Crumble remaining graham cracker sheet; sprinkle over whipped topping.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1/10 of pudding).

PERSONAL NOTES:

Wow, where can I begin?  This is an easy recipe to follow, let's just start there.  I had it made in about 10-15 minutes.  Seriously. So the special magazine/book where the recipe comes from is telling the trute.  It really is a 15 minute dish.

Then I started deviating a little bit (of course).  When I was at the store the other day looking to buy the graham crackers for the recipe I stopped short when I saw that the box cost almost $5!  That's a little crazy, especially since my husband and I don't normally eat graham crackers.  Although when I mentioned this to him he said I could've made the recipe again.  Sigh.

So in lieu of the graham crackers I purchased a small box of Lorna Doone butter cookies (which I know, it's not chocolate, but I figured they would taste just fine - really).  That was all fine and good except as I was putting the dessert together I quickly realized I wasn't going to have enough cookies for a second layer.  What was I to do on short notice?  Well as it happened, I had a small box of Oreo cookies because I was going to make a different dessert on another day.  So I decided to toss the Oreos in for the second cookie layer.  I know it's not what Weight Watchers had in mind (for the Lorna Doones and the Oreos), but whatever.  So it's not exactly low fat, it's kinda low fat.

As the book states, each serving is only 116 calories! Obviously, the way I made it will have a higher calorie content.  I'm OK with that.

Tofu Lasagna with Caramelized Calabaza

Leave it to me to get a little bored with the same-old, same-old recipes to start creating my own concoctions. 

That's right, I combined a couple of recipes for this one.  Frankly, it's about time.  And lucky for me it turned out GREAT!  I used the recipe for the caramelized calabaza (winter squash) from here and fused it with an old recipe for tofu-stuffed shells (the recipe for which I cannot find.  Boo).  So I improvised and figured out what went into the tofu mixture.  It originally came from an old tofu recipes book I had. Well, actually I still have the book I just can't seem to locate it. 

The combination of flavors and textures makes the work that goes into making this totally worth it.  Of course, if you really wanted, you could skip the whole tofu filling part and just use regular ricotta cheese as you would in a traditional lasagna.  But, I think the tofu adds a nice (different) dimension to it.

TOFU LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS:

For the caramelized squash topping:

9 Tbs. unsalted butter 

1 kabocha, calabaza, butternut squash or any winter squash, 2 1/2 to 3 lb., peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes 

2 Tbs. sugar 

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth 

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 

3 Tbs. finely diced shallots 

1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 

1 Tbs. minced fresh sage 

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 

2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 

1 lb. fresh pasta sheets, cooked per boxed instructions

1 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

For the tofu filling:

1 16oz block extra firm tofu, drained

Oregano, parsely, basil to taste

salt to taste

fresh chopped spinach (optional)

1 tsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Follow the directions for the squash mixture here from my previous post.

In a food processor, mix together the tofu mixture until smooth.  Cook pasta sheets as per the directions on the box.  Butter a 9x13 baking pan so it's well greased.  Cover the bottom with pasta and fill with the tofu mixture.  Continue layering until the mixture is finished.  It's important to top the lasagna with the tofu mixture - otherwise the top pasta layer will get too crunchy as it bakes.

Bake for about 20 minutes (you may want to keep it in a little longer - but start checking it at 20 minutes.  It's probably done.) and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Top with the caramelized squash mixture, sprinkle with parmesan cheese to taste and serve.  Enjoy!

PERSONAL NOTES:

This is a fun dish to serve and to eat (I can't lie, it's really tasty). But I also have to come clean - it's work.  It takes a while to get everything together.  It probably took me over an hour to complete the whole thing.  You can probably make the squash mixture while the lasagna is in the oven.  That would help cut down on time.  So while I really like this meal and the combination of flavors and textures, I just won't be making it a lot.  I like easier dishes to make.  However, I do end up with leftovers and therefore meals for the following day or so are covered.

By the way, this dish can also be made as tofu stuffed shells with the same caramelized squash on top.  That would be tasty too!

Coffee-Coffee Cake Muffins.

That's right.  That would be coffee-flavored coffee cake muffins.  Oh and by the way; Happy Easter to everyone!

This morning my husband asked for french toast for his breakfast.  Since I pretty much only make it once a year, I decided that today would be that day.  Although, I didn't have the proper bread for the french toast.  Real french toast should only be made with Challah bread.  Anyhow, I digress.

This being Easter I thought it would be nice to come up with a new muffin recipe.  Well, maybe not new as it was thought of by someone else who put it in a book.  But I saw the muffin recipe and thought it would be nice to try a new variation of a muffin I've made several different ways.

COFFEE-COFFEE CAKE MUFFINS

This recipe comes to me courtesy of Muffins: Over 200 Recipes and Variations to Accompany Any Meal by Francesca DiPaolo

INGREDIENTS:

Muffins:
1 cup butter
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream or milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder

Filling/Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a muffin pan (either lining with paper liners or using Pam to spray).

In a medium bowl, blend the eggs, sour cream (or milk), vanilla and instant coffee powder. 

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and baking powder.

Cut in the softened butter.

Blend all until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan.  Top with 1 tablespoon reserved brown sugar mixture and then with the remaining batter.

In a small bowl, mix the filling ingredients.  Sprinkle the tops generously.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove the muffins from the pan, and cool on a wire rack.  Serve warm.


PERSONAL NOTES:

Let's see...what did I do differently this time?

No sour cream, I used fat free Greek yogurt.  Absolutely no difference in texture or taste.  So good.

And instead of using 1 cup of butter, I used 1/2 cup butter and then 1/2 cup of applesauce to lighten it up a little bit.

Finally, I didn't have pecans or walnuts (although I'm sure either would have tasted wonderful) so I used raw hazlenuts instead.  I have to say, they really added a nice chewiness to the texture.  So good.

These are a keeper - yummy and easy to make. 

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins

Yes, I've said before I'd be moving away from the simple carbs.  And yes, here I am again baking those evil sweets.  It's official; I can't let go of these things.  I'll just have to learn with having these in moderation.  Life without baked goods is not a life worth living.  Much.  Besides, I really enjoy making these things.  It's too much fun waiting to see how they all come out and imagining what the muffins will taste like. 

So I decided to go for these sour cream coffee cake muffins.  The original recipe can be found here. 

SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

TOPPING:

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and beat until combined. Pour half the batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle half of topping over batter. Add remaining batter and topping. Bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes or until done.

PERSONAL NOTES:

For starters, I omitted the pecans and used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  I always believed Greek yogurt would be a sufficient substitute and I was right.  It worked great!

Next, as you can see by the photos, I made muffins instead of a full sized coffee cake.  I like making muffins because you can freeze the uneaten portions and have them when you want :)