Whole Wheat | 20something cupcakes

Archives For whole wheat

{whole wheat} bacon-blueberry waffles + giveaway.

August 24, 2012 — 80 Comments

As if {whole wheat} bacon-blueberry waffles weren’t enough, today I offer you something more.

{Whole Wheat} Bacon-Blueberry Waffles

How about a waffle iron so that the 64% of you who don’t own one can actually make these beauties?

Pretty maj, if I do say so myself.

Up until the super-awesome folks at BigKitchen offered me one of these bad boys for a review and giveaway, I had never made waffles before. Impossible without a waffle maker (well, unless you’re Alejandra and get crazy-creative with your grill pan) and Daniel was not about to allow me such a luxury into our already cramped kitchen. No, I’m afraid there’s no more room between the ornaments and the cake dome under our guest bathroom sink.

In Weekend Brunch bacon, blueberries, giveaway, pancakes, whole wheat

how-to: the perfect burger + super-fast buns.

July 26, 2012 — 5 Comments

I bet you didn’t know that burgers are just full of secrets.

How to Make the Perfect Burger Plus Fast Hamburger Buns

{And not the K-Stew/Robert Pattinson type}

I’ve shared them once before, but just in case you’re more of a visual person – and who isn’t? … I made a video, just for you!

What’s even better is that we’re making homemade buns that’ll be done just in time for the burgers. Are you skeptical? I was, when I first discovered this 40-minute hamburger bun recipe that I used a base to form my own.

If you don’t know much about bread-making – and I won’t pretend to be an expert, either – just know that when you’re messing around with yeast, you usually have to deal with all sorts of rise times and the like. There’s nothing hard about it – it’s can just get time-consuming. With these buns, however, you’re using a lot more yeast than you normally would, so this makes up for the lack of resting/rise time. Don’t ask me why, I’m no scientist – just watch and see!

In Main Dishes, Sassy in the Kitchen burgers, ground beef, homemade bread, summer recipes, whole wheat

cinnamon-dark chocolate {whole wheat} pancakes.

May 17, 2012 — 5 Comments

It was a rainy weekend and an even rainier Sunday morning, and I couldn’t imagine getting out of bed for any reason other than pancakes.

Cinnamon-Dark Chocolate Whole Wheat Pancakes

Pancakes are a good bet for a morning like this, when you haven’t yet been to the store, and you definitely aren’t considering getting up and going anytime before noon. You can usually make pancakes with stuff you’ve already got on hand. I like to think of them as “pantry pancakes.”

Sometimes, though, I get bored with basic buttermilk pancakes. Even chocolate chip pancakes or blueberry (easy enough for pantry pancakes if you keep frozen blueberries on hand, which, of course, I do) aren’t always doing it for me.

This recipe was inspired by Deb’s recipe for a chocolate chip-sour cream coffee cake over on Smitten Kitchen. I’m still dreaming about making that coffee cake at some point, but in the meantime, I took the components that were singing to me and I put them right into these healthy-ish pancakes. Cinnamon and chocolate, and buttermilk in lieu of the sour cream.

But, really – it was all about the cinnamon. Now, I know what you’re thinking … cinnamon is hardly an ingredient to get hung up on in a pancake recipe. Don’t, like, all pancakes have cinnamon? Well, some do and some do not, but what I was really falling in love with was the idea of making cinnamon the star of the show.

In Healthy Eats, Weekend Brunch buttermilk, chocolate, cinnamon, i heart breakfast, maple syrup, whole wheat

homemade {whole wheat} baguettes.

April 23, 2012 — 14 Comments

I’m feeling very French today. Making baguettes, drinking wine, eating Brie and such.

This was my first time making bread. Real bread. And by the way, it felt damn good.

Baking homemade bread is one of those things that just makes you feel like a total baller in the kitchen. Though I’m sure many bread recipes are difficult/annoying/require a bread machine, this one is nothing of the sort! All you need is a food processor – and even that’s not completely imperative, as Bittman points out, you can still make it without one.

In Food Matters Project baguette, french bread, homemade bread, whole wheat

homemade grandma’s pizza.

April 16, 2012 — 18 Comments

I’m fairly certain I’ve discovered the best possible scenario to end my week.

This week, next week – every week. For the rest of my life. Friday nights won’t ever be the same.

Yes, this is kind of a big deal. You’ve heard me talk about making pizza at home before – it’s one of my favorite things to do. The pizza provides a meal to feed us, but it’s the activity of making it that brings something else to the checkered tablecloth-covered table.

I’ve officially named this pizza dough recipe, chosen by Niki for this week’s episode of The Food Matters Project, our new Friday night meal plan. Now, this is not a thin crust pizza – which is usually my favorite, or should I say, is what used to be my favorite. What I’ve learned is that you need a pizza oven to get that perfectly thin and crispy crust. I’m over trying to perfect that at home now that I’ve discovered this beast of a dough.

In Food Matters Project, Main Dishes comfort food, garlic, pizza, pizza dough, pizza sauce, whole wheat

apple-blackberry banana bread.

January 18, 2012 — 2 Comments

Now is the time for banana bread.

Why? Well, because what else does one bake when the holidays have just passed, so you can’t bear the thought of another cake or – gasp! – cookie…but you’re still in the mood to bake?

{Is now a bad time to mention that double mocha-fudge brownies are on next week’s menu?}

Banana bread is the answer to our post-holiday, January baking cravings. This banana bread in particular is super, super-healthy. Whole wheat? Check. Low in sugar? Check. Three different fruits and the addition of applesauce to replace half the butter? Healthy fats in the form of crunchy walnuts? Check, check, and check.

In Healthy Eats, Sweets + Treats apples, baked goods + pastries, bananas, blackberries, healthy baking, quick breads, whole wheat

whole lemon-nut muffins.

June 26, 2011 — 1 Comment

They’re called “whole” lemon muffins for a reason, you know.

I’ve been intrigued by these muffins since I first saw the recipe: A whole lemon, skin – everything except the seeds – and all, goes into this muffin batter. The end result was promised to be a deeper lemon flavor, and it was. I love this idea – as a matter of fact, I’m already thinking about making whole orange muffins.

These muffins are incredibly light and fluffy, and I even opted to replace one cup of regular flour with whole wheat, making for an even “whole-r” muffin. I also love that these muffins aren’t overly sweet. You have the option to add a simple glazer of confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and a touch of vanilla, and there you can control how much sweetness you want to add. If you do opt to use this glaze, I would be sure to add enough sugar to thicken it enough, or let it sit and harden a bit before you try to use the glaze.

The recipe says it yields 12 texas-sized muffins at the top of the page, but when you read the instructions, it says to use 8 muffin cups. I’m not sure which is supposed to be correct, but I used regular-sized muffin pans and I got 18. I also had a problem in one of the pans with getting the muffins out safely after baking – not sure if it was the pan, but you may want to use muffin liners to be safe.

Head over to Tara’s blog for the complete recipe!

In Weekend Brunch lemons, muffins, nuts, project pastry queen, whole wheat

pesto pasta salad.

July 7, 2010 — 7 Comments

Here is a pasta salad that just screams summer.

{Yes, I do realize I’m a little obsessed with all things summer – and Ina Garten, for that matter}

Basil is quickly becoming my herb of choice for this time of year, because it seems to go so perfectly with everything I feel like eating – I want beautiful chiffonades of it over my Caprese salads, and I need it to be muddled into my strawberry-vodka cocktails, of course. And what about these perfectly simple + gorgeous tomato, basil, and goat cheese tartlets for your next get-together? Or maybe a super-refreshing salad of watermelon and feta, drizzled in basil oil? I mean, we need basil. And lots of it.

Lucky for me, I do have a lot of it – in fact, I have an enormous vat of the deliciously sweet stuff growing on my balcony right now. Can you guess what’s next?

Pesto.

Pesto, meet pasta salad. With peas and lots of other healthy stuff like spinach (which sort of blends right in, by the way – if you have any picky veggie eaters out there) and whole wheat pasta. I loved everything about this salad – especially the beautiful green color. If you want to add a pop of something else, however, I think sun-dried tomatoes would be a great addition.

Pesto Pasta Salad

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

3/4 pound fusilli pasta {I use whole wheat}
3/4 pound bow tie pasta {again, whole wheat}
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 cups pesto {see recipe below}
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise {I use light or olive oil mayo}
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup pine nuts
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the fusilli and bow ties in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until al dente. The purpose of two different types of pasta is to give it some texture and help the pesto to hang on to it nicely, but you can absolutely use just one. After it’s cooked, drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

To make the pesto:

*This makes about 4 cups of pesto, so you can roughly halve it if you want only enough for the salad

1/4 cup pine nuts (or you could do half pine nuts, half walnuts)
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (5 cloves)
2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the pine nuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

In On the Side basil, pasta, peas, perfect potluck dish, pesto, summertime, whole wheat

blueberry streusel muffins.

May 3, 2010 — 2 Comments

I have an idea. Let’s all pretend that it’s still the weekend and we’re all at home laying in bed, eating delicious blueberry streusel muffins fresh out of the oven.

Muffins are the perfect thing to bake on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Baking something in the morning just makes breakfast feel more special, and if I’m doing a brunch with guests – well, in that case, baking something is a must. I adore blueberries, and the addition of lemon zest adds the perfect lightness and freshness to the batter – you won’t even taste it. But the real shining star of these muffins is the streusel topping, of course. I mean, what wouldn’t streusel topping make even better? I even used some whole-wheat flour, just to increase the health-factor a bit, and you couldn’t tell at all – they were pure perfection.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

From Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Makes 20 muffins

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour {I replaced 1 cup of flour with whole-wheat}
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar {I ran out of sugar and replaced 1 cup with brown sugar}
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk, shaken
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 extra-large eggs
2 cups fresh blueberries {I used frozen, and let them defrost for about 20 minutes}

For the streusel topping:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and blend with your hands. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest, and eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with at fork, mixing just until blended. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Don’t overmix! With a standard (2 1/4 inch) ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared cups, filling them almost full.

For the topping, place all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the butter is in very small pieces. Pour into a bowl and rub with your fingers until crumbly. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the streusel on top of each muffin. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Pair with a deliciously hot fresh-brewed pot of coffee, and enjoy.

In Recipe Arsenal, Weekend Brunch baked goods + pastries, barefoot contessa back to basics, blueberries, buttermilk, comfort food, i heart breakfast, ina garten, whole wheat

sunday morning pancakes.

March 14, 2010 — 2 Comments

Laying in bed this morning listening to Daniel mutter something about wanting bagels but not wanting to go get them, I think in my head that a nice carb-heavy breakfast sounds good to me, too. But – as I haven’t really cooked all weekend (minus an easy omelet yesterday, which I will post about soon as everyone should know how to make a perfect one) – I decide that pancakes are in order.

Off to Smitten Kitchen I go. I am freakishly obsessed with this AMAZING food blog (often one of the first places I go to make a recipe – I want to make pretty much *everything* she posts about). I am already thinking of these sour-cream pancakes I remember her writing about, but I don’t have any sour cream in the fridge so that’s out. I search for pancakes, and end up going with this post she did on buttermilk blueberry pancakes. (Bonus points: now I can get rid of that leftover buttermilk from last week’s cupcakes.)

Best Buttermilk Pancakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Original Classics Cookbook

Yield: Depending on how big you make them, you could get anywhere from 9-16 pancakes.

2 cups all-purpose flour (if you want to go whole wheat, just replace 1 cup with whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or slightly less table salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk (I only had about 2 cups buttermilk, so I subbed regular milk for the rest)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon extra for brushing griddle (or you can use Pam)

1-2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen and thawed (optional – and I only used a cup, so I made half blueberry and half regular)

1. Preheat an electric griddle to 375°F, or place a griddle pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Lightly mix the eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons melted butter (you can just use the microwave), in a separate bowl. Now whisk the wet ingredients into the dry. You want small to medium lumps – this is the secret to a light and fluffy PERFECT pancake!

2. Test the griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If the water bounces and spatters, the griddle is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush a little butter onto the griddle, or Pam it up.

3. Using a 4-oz. ladle (about 1/2 cup for a 6-inch pancake, use a little less if you like them smaller), pour the batter in pools 2 inches apart – they do spread a bit as they cook, but if you overcrowd, no biggie – just separate them with your spatula before you flip). If you’re going blueberry, add them here, while the pancakes are already starting to cook. When the pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over (I like to make sure they’re nice and golden underneath). If any batter oozes or blueberries roll out, push them back under with your spatula. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.

4. Repeat with the remaining batter. You can keep the finished pancakes on a heat-proof plate in the oven at 175°F. Serve warm.

Because it’s more fun than bagels again.

{Especially when you’re *way* too far from New York, and Einstein’s is about as good as it gets}