 |
| Healthy Banana waffles sweetened with molasses
I had the pleasure of attending William and Susan Brinson’s photography workshop yesterday, which was nothing short of delightful. Located in a funky loft in midtown, three of us shared a good time, learned much, and enjoyed some of Susan’s delicious cooking- vegetable and cheese tart and spectacularly lovely hand pies for lunch. The two of them have a real easy grace about them that was warm and inviting, right down to the floury belly Susan got when rolling out the dough for the lunch.
Susan and William have a beautiful blog House of Brinson which I frequent regularly if not for the recipes but also for the gorgeous photography. So when the opportunity came up to get a peek into the magic, I jumped on it.
Susan pulled out fabrics and plates and shared with us their virtues and utilities (look how beautiful the texture on this inexpensive napkin is, and it photographs SO beautifully!), while William walked us through the different aspects of creating light, balancing light- basically teaching us how to cajol it into behaving for us. They also gave us insight into the thought processes of composing and story telling leading to the end product. Honestly, I believe learning to think like a photographer is half the battle sometimes.
My first foray into practicing some of my new skills is this recipe that I created: Banana Waffles. I am not particularly a breakfast person. Cold cereal is utterly completely unsatisfying and for some crazy reason causes me to be mad hungry by 10:30am. Not sure why that is, but it’s scientifically proven (in this lab anyway). I am also a morning gym person, so I do like to eat something relatively substantial but not too heavy before I head out.
I packed a ton of punch into these babies. Wheat Germ, protein powder, whole wheat flour, coconut oil and molasses. The result is a waffle that is so delicious and not too sweet. The grains and the molasses give it warm Fall undertones that was just what I had in mind. The coconut oil especially added a mellow note which is more of a hint rather than a statement. I am becoming a big fan of coconut oil in baking just for this quality. Please don’t be alarmed by the reports on the saturated fat of coconut. It’s not the same fat configuration as say bacon, it’s in fact quite good for you. A serving of these waffles offers up less than 18% of the daily need for fat and this fat is a good one.
The batch came together quickly and while the waffles were baking, I had time to straighten up the counter. Those I don’t eat this morning are going into the freezer for future mornings.
I prefer my waffles served with Non Fat Greek yogurt and a drizzle of fragrant honey. Hot crisp waffles, cool tangy yogurt and mellow sweet honey. Oh yes…
Enjoy!
Wholesome Banana Waffles
1 c AP flour
1/2 c Whole Wheat flour
1/2 c Wheat germ
2 scoops Soy protein powder
1.5 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1.5 c fat free milk, warmed
3T coconut oil
2 large eggs
3 T molasses
2 medium ripe bananas mashed
Combine dry ingredients into large bowl and stir thoroughly
In separate bowl combine all the wet ingredients. I warm my milk first so not to harden the coconut oil, and things just bake better at room temperature. Make sure egg mixture is well incorporated, and get the molasses well stirred in.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Firmly but sparingly stir the batter. You want to create a well incorporated batter without over mixing, which can create a tough waffle, so err on the side of under doing it if you tend to have a heavy hand.
Cook the waffles to your iron’s specifications.
I have a simple stove top waffle maker that I adore. I just cook the waffles on one side for about 1 min and then flip for another 3 or so. Peeking is fine, so if I need more, I give it more.
Due to the bananas and whole grains, these are not the fluffiest waffles out there, but they are definitely the gullet friendly sink your teeth into kind.
Makes 8 servings. 260 calories, 8g fat, 3 g fiber, 32g Carb, 15g protein
|
Friday Night Eggplant
 |
| Asian Inspired Eggplant
A quick simple post for a simple Friday night sup. A long strange week in the kitchen left me feeling like a needed a little something special without pulling out all the pots and pans. I purchased an eggplant earlier in the week with an inspiration to do something smokey and some sort of stuffing? but I got myself into an Asian mood, probably a hang over from the Thai rolls yesterday.
So late in the afternoon, during my 4pm “must sit on the couch now for a few” break, I pulled out Kylie Kwong’s book Simple Chinese Cooking. I really enjoy her cooking style and the easy simple recipes. The techniques are also so straight forward and easy to master, it’s like magic. The hardest part really is gathering the ingredients such as sichuan peppercorns, shao hsing wine and malt vinegar. Once they are established in the pantry it’s an easy delight pull it all together.
It’s fascinating to me how a handful of simple ingredients can be transformed into something so unimaginably different and delicious.
|
Eggplant Salad
Adapted from Kylie Kwong’s, Simple Chinese Cooking
1 large eggplant, peeled
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon finely sliced spring onions
pinch ground white pepper
dressing
1/4 c malt vinegar
2 tablespoons shao hsing wine or dry sherry
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Cut eggplant into long slices lengthwise, then cut into 3/4″ strips. Sprinkle with salt on both sides and lay on tray in single layer. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Dressing: place all the ingredients into a small heavy-based saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2 mins, then set aside to cool.
Place eggplant in colander and rinse well under cool water. Drain and pat dry.
Arrange eggplant in one layer on a heatproof plate that will fit inside a steamer. Steam covered for 6 mins or until eggplant is just tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from steamer and allow to cool slightly.
To serve, arrange eggplant on a plate and spoon over dressing. Sprinkle with onions and white pepper.
Thai Spring Rolls with Fire-y Chicken
| Crunchy Spicy Minty Tangy Deliciousness |
Spring rolls used to be too daunting for me to consider making. Those papery skins looked too fragile and tricky to work with. At the beginning of my cake career (ca. 1987) I shared a kitchen with a caterer who made the spring rolls regularly. One of the beauties of sharing that space was being able to peek over shoulders and learn about things I knew little about.
Their method for dampening the rice paper was to use a spray bottle with fresh water. There is a lot of control in the amount of moisture with this method, and they could really hustle through the piles of rolls that they needed to make. I’ve never been able to keep such a dedicated bottle in my house, and so afraid that some cleaner might have snuck in by one of my kitchen staff, so I revert to the “dip method”, which is to slide the sheet into a bowl of cool water and out immediately.
The sheet will still be stiff at first, but by the time I load it up, it’s soft enough to roll. I can work 2 at a time if I’m feeling swift, but I recommend not rushing it as torn rolls are frustrating and a sad sad thing….
For this recipe I make my own ground chicken. It’s super easy to do, and into the mix I put in chilies, garlic and onion. It takes two seconds in the cuisinart and I love the slight green tint the chilies give to the meat. Since I typically purchase chicken breasts in bulk and have them portioned out in the freezer, I can defrost and whip these up whenever the mood strikes. Actually, truth be told, it’s more like when I have mint and cilantro in the fridge that I get the inspiration to make these jewels.
You can serve these with any kind of Asian sauce, but I prefer my Soi 5 Chili Sauce. When my fiancee and I were in Chiang Mai last, my favorite place to eat was an outdoor Gai Yang place. You could spot the place a block away from the billowing fragrant smoke of the grilling chicken, which they did right on the sidewalk. You have to walk past the grill master to get into the rustic restaurant that is filled with locals all day long. With side the chicken is served this rocket hot and amazing chili sauce (and Som Tom and sticky rice, ohhhhh). Since they make it there themselves I tried to get the recipe, but I was Thai-politely told that regrettably they could not share it. After returning home I put to task recreating the sweet tangy and super spicy sauce. I will have to return to Soi 5 (Fifth Street) to compare, but I think my version is damn close.
Thai Spring Rolls with Fire-y Chicken
1# Chicken breast- feel free to substitute pork, shrimp or chicken thighs here, cut into small chunks
1 small white onion minced
3 cloves garlic, rough chopped
Thai chilies to taste is preferred, or jalepenos which I used here (1), rough chopped
rice paper wrappers
cucumber sliced thinly into long strips
red onion, french sliced thinly
fresh mint leaves
fresh cilantro leaves
fresh lime
Soi 5 Chili Sauce (recipe coming soon)
In a food processor place the onion, garlic and chilies and give a whir to mince more finely.
Add chicken and pulse until uniformly incorporated and chicken is thoroughly minced.
Heat frying pan to medium high. With a small amount of oil in the pan cook the chicken mixture until just cooked through, just a few minutes. You may add some S&P if you like here. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a bowl of cool water dip the rice paper wrapper and lay on cutting board. Working quickly, on the bottom half of the round first lay the mint leaves nicely, as they will show through the paper.
Then lay down a row of cucumber, cilantro, red onion and a few tablespoons of the chicken mixture, then spritz with a hit of lime.
With the finesse of a Thai master, roll up the same as you would an egg roll. Try to roll as tightly as you can without tearing the paper. The paper may be sticky. Dipping fingers into water will make it easier to handle. Carefully place the rolls onto a tray lined with parchment or wax paper. As they sit they will dry and become less tacky to the touch.
Serve and eat as soon as possible. They are the best fresh. Or cover in the fridge for up to a half a day. If the paper dries out you can refresh with a little cool water.
I have made these with several friends and family over the years. The first roll or two is typically pretty frightful looking- though just as delicious. It only takes a little practice to get tight pretty rolls. I say eat the first once right off while standing over the board. It will give you the sustenance and incentive to become Master roller.