Nov 2
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
Since I now regularly make raw almond milk, I decided to invest in bulk almonds to save money. Totally worth it! I can now make milk for pennies on the dollar. It got me wondering what else I could do with them, and I decided to try homemade almond butter. It’s unbelievably easy and incredibly economical.
Oct 30
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
Bagels were a staple in my house growing up. They’ve always been a favorite for easy weekend breakfasts as well as brunch with friends and family. Homemade bagels are surprisingly easy to make and you be creative with the flavors. Since pumpkin is the star ingredient of fall cuisine it makes a perfect seasonal bagel that you won’t find in many shops.
If you’ve ever made soft pretzels, the process for preparing homemade bagels is quite similar. You combine ingredients, kneed the dough, let it rise, shape your bagels, let it rise again, and finally you boil and bake them. As with most bread recipes there are many steps but none of them are difficult. For this recipe I got borrowed some basic ingredient ratios from Emeril Lagasse’s homemade bagels recipe. I was thrilled with the results. The outside has a wonderful crunch and the inside is soft and chewy. The spice levels hit all the right notes. Pumpkin powder is optional, but I love using it. It’s all-natural and enhances both flavor and color. I first discovered it when I made pumpkin challah bread, and it’s been a staple fall ingredient ever since.
Oct 22
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I’ve been trying to come up with new and unusual ways to use apples since I have to get through another 15 lbs of them (35 lbs between two trips to the farm). I’ve made apple butter, apple pancakes, apple pie, apple cookies, apple chutney…so many apples. Since I’ve been on a sweets kick, I decided to make donuts in my new deep fryer (thank you, wedding registry). You can make these without a deep fryer, just use a large pot and a high smoke point oil (see temperatures below).
A few notes: under the ingredients, I list the apples as either grated or diced. I decided to dice them so I could bite into big chunks of apple, but I recommend grating them. I think the apple flavor will be more pronounced throughout the doughnut and they will be easier to roll if you’re not used to working with sticky dough. This dough is very fluffy and sticky, so keep the palms of your hands oiled and keep a small bowl of flour handy. Try not to incorporate too much additional flour, because that will make the doughnuts dense.
Oct 16
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I was inspired to make these cookies after visiting my favorite dessert spot in Baltimore, Pitango Gelato. I always get their pistachio flavor, and when I saw they were offering cardamom gelato, I got one scoop of each. The flavors paired wonderfully together. And these cookies are equally fabulous. The cookie is soft and chewy. The pistachio and cardamom flavors shine.
Oct 11
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I recently watched the documentary ‘Forks Over Knives’ and it was a life changer. The movie provides some stunning scientific evidence supporting the relationship between animal product consumption and disease. I want to live a long healthy life! I’m nowhere close to maintaining an exclusively plant-based diet, but I’m making changes. For example, I’ve never been a big meat eater but I consume quite a bit of dairy. To offset this, I’ve been alternating between milk and non-dairy alternatives.
Out of the wide array of non-dairy milk alternatives available, my favorite is almond milk. It has a mild, smooth flavor and works great in cereal, coffee and smoothies. I have yet to try baking with it but I’ve heard many success stories. I decided to try making my own to see how it compared to store brands such as Almond Breeze.
Oct 4
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I remember last Thanksgiving quite clearly. I was eager to impress my family with my new culinary skills and brought both an appetizer (Pear and Blue Cheese Tart) and dessert (Chocolate Kahlua Roulade) to dinner. My uncle was hosting, and Thanksgiving at his house is always a treat. He and my aunt are amazing cooks and they always prepare an impressive array of dishes. Like most people, I usually eat too much at dinner and then struggle to make room for dessert. I believe last year there were three pies, a cheesecake, and two roulades. That’s when I got the idea for Thanksgiving pie petit fours. Individual bites of pie! No need to miss anything.
This recipe requires Petit Four Molds
Oct 2
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
We had many requirements at culinary school, one of which was to assist 3 recreational cooking classes. I loved doing this and volunteered often. One particular evening I assisted a pastry class where the students were making an assortment of tarts. The chef described a galette as a “rustic tart” and then smirked, stating:
“I love the word ‘rustic’. It means it doesn’t have to be pretty.”
She had a point. When using tart molds, I often spend quite a bit of time making sure the dough is perfectly formed. Patience and practice yields perfection. Galettes are much easier, and their imperfections are what make them beautiful, in my opinion. They’re great for beginners and experts alike.
This tart has a wonderful balance of flavors and is perfect for fall entertaining. The apple enhances the sweetness of the butternut squash and the pecans offer a nice crunch. The shallots and goat cheese are savory and rich. You can get 6-8 appetizer servings, depending on how big you want your slices.
Sep 28
Sep 25
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I finally had a chance to start baking with the apples I picked last weekend! I had so much fun at the farm and I’m determined to cook all of the apples and squash before the season ends so I can go get more. I think there may be some canning in my future.
These cookies are very delicate. I used empires, but any apple will do. I prefer to leave the skin on for a bit of texture. The “spice” is pumpkin pie spice, a mixture of cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. How perfect and easy is that? You can add it to baked goods, smoothies, oatmeal… definitely a worthy purchase! It is available at most grocery stores and online.
Sep 21
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
It has been awhile since I’ve gone nuts over a recipe. These bars are AMAZING. I had some dried apricots in the pantry and was trying to decide what to do with them when I came across a unique looking recipe for baked apricot bars, courtesy of David Lebowitz. I think I died and went to heaven when I first took a bite. These bars have a layer of rosemary shortbread on the bottom, brandy-infused apricot paste in the center, and a brown sugar pecan crumble on top. Put all your other recipes aside and make these right now!
I made a few modifications to the original recipe. I didn’t have California dried apricots, which are less sweet, so I added 1 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice to the apricot filling. I made a few other minor changes to the filling and crumb topping. The results were stunning.
Sep 13
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
As I mentioned in my hot toddy post, I’m not much of a drinker these days. Maybe I’ve developed a mild allergy to alcohol over the years, because most of time it gives me a headache that ranges from mild to severe. It’s a shame, because I’ve always loved good wine and beer. And, you know, drinking is fun… but in the end I’ve found it’s not worth the pain. I usually stick with cocktails when I do hit the booze because I’ve had the best luck staying headache-free with hard liquor. The mojito is my absolute favorite cocktail, so why should I be limited to enjoying them on rare occasions?
I’ve adapted a healthy recipe from Canyon Ranch, which they refer to as an “Almosjito Limeade.” The recipe contains several juices that I prefer not to keep around, so I’ve swapped them all out for the fresh squeezed variety. I usually have red-seedless grapes on hand and since the original recipe calls for 1/4 cups white grape juice, I juiced grapes into a measuring cup with a garlic press over a fine mesh strainer. Voila, fresh grape juice!
The results are so delicious. I can drink this everyday without the least bit of guilt or pain! And if you want to turn it into a regular mojito, simply add a shot of rum.
Sep 10
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I’ve been making homemade pops quite a bit recently. I go through phases where I get major sugar cravings in the evening (these phases seem directly related to carb and sugar intake during the day). Homemade popsicles have become my answer! They’re healthy, filling, and they satisfy my sweet tooth. I already keep Greek yogurt and frozen fruit handy to make smoothies. For pops, I typically make the same smoothie I would have for a daytime snack and then freeze the contents into my Tovolo Green Star Ice Pop Molds.
It helps to have a good sturdy blender for this. If your blender can’t puree frozen fruit, use fresh fruit. My pop molds use approximately 2 1/3 cups of smoothie to fill all of the molds. This recipe makes a bit extra in case you’re using a larger mold. Drink the excess, it’s delicious. And experiment with the ingredients! I often use strawberries and mangoes because I love the flavor combination, but you can use any fruits you prefer. Play around with the recipe and make a healthy, homemade pop that’s so much better than anything you’ll buy in the store.
Sep 8
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I’ve always been the type of person who thinks ‘what do I feel like cooking or baking this week?’ I brainstorm some ideas and then I’m off to the grocery store to pick up whatever I need. It occurred to me recently that such thinking, while gratifying, isn’t exactly economical. I have an entire pantry and fridge full of supplies. Why not simply search around for ingredients I have on hand and go from there? This is probably what the rest of the universe already does, but sometimes I look past the obvious. Since we’re on a bit of a restricted budget right now, it’s my new plan. And that is how this entry came to be.
I hesitate to call these Whole Wheat Apple Orange Muffins because the orange flavor didn’t come through as much as I expected it to. But it was there. I added 2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice and 1 tablespoon of orange zest. I contemplated adding 1 tsp of pure orange extract but went against my better judgement. Next time I’ll definitely add that and I recommend you do the same if you want an orange flavor that stands up to the apples. All that being said I think the orange ingredients definitely brightened up the recipe with a delicate aftertaste. The final product was ridiculously moist and the brown sugar topping added the perfect crunch.
I’ve adapted this recipe from King Arthur Flour. Aside from the oranges, I also added more apples.
Aug 26
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
This summer I’ve become a salad fanatic. Believe it or not, I was terrible at making salads before I went to culinary school. It was my shameful secret. I knew about the different tastes (sweet/salty/bitter/sour) but I didn’t realize that paying attention to such a simple cooking principle would have such a dramatic effect on my final product. I also didn’t realize the importance of adding texture and color or that the trick to making salads truly filling was to add protein and healthy fat.
I’m going to break everything into categories to describe how I make salads. Even the picky eaters in my family enjoy my salads, so I think you will too! Pick and choose from this list, but try to add something from as many categories as possible to create a good balance.
Aug 13
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
The past two weeks have been rough. I’m sick with a brutal virus that just won’t leave me alone. I’ve dealt with an assortment of symptoms: sore throat, lethargy, low-grade fever, mild congestion. And it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere! I feel better than I did when it first hit me but I am definitely not myself.
My savior during this particular illness has been hot toddies. For the record, I’m not typically a drinker. I just don’t care for alcohol these days; many times it either makes me tired or gives me a headache. But when I have a bad cold this drink really helps distract from my misery. The honey and lemon do wonders for my throat. The alcohol adds a nice mellow buzz on top of my wooziness, allowing me to stop feeling pathetic and relax for a bit. Is it actually helping me get better? I doubt it, but I don’t think it hurts.
Aug 11
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
When I worked a nine to five job, I was somewhat lazy about visiting farmers markets on the weekend. Baltimore has wonderful markets but you really have to arrive early to get the best produce options. When my husband and I moved closer to Washington DC, I was delighted to discover a small farmers market within walking distance of our apartment. It may not be the largest market in the area, but I can find what I need. And now that I work unusual hours, I love arriving early to the market on Saturday and wandering through the local, seasonal goodies.
If you’re looking for a farmers market in your area, a great resource is Real Time Farms. In addition to providing information on farms and farmers markets, they also link restaurants to specific farms, which I think is pretty cool.
Right now is such a great time to buy corn. Because this is the peak season, it’s cheap and full of flavor. I love adding it to salads or mixing it with quinoa. But in my opinion, chowder is the best way to enjoy corn in the summer. Many recipes use bacon but I think that takes away from the star attraction. This recipe brings out all of the natural sweetness and savoriness of the corn, has richness from the dairy and stock and a lovely earthiness from the fresh herbs.
Aug 2
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
Over Memorial Day weekend last year, my boyfriend proposed to me on top of the Empire State Building. One year later, this past spring, we were married in Cabo San Lucas in a private beach ceremony. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
Jul 29
It is HOT on the East Coast. For weeks now we’ve seen temperatures in the 90s and in recent days they’ve reached 100 degrees with heat indexes reaching 115! I’ve found myself reaching repeatedly for the ice cream maker to cool off. I love ice cream more than anything, but sorbet is so easy. And this time of year there are so many wonderful options from the farmers market: cherries, raspberries, peaches… while ice cream can involve turning on the stove to make custard, sorbet is as simple as pureeing ingredients and then freezing them in your ice cream machine!
Here’s an easy recipe for peach sorbet. The liquor is optional; I just happened to have some and thought it might give the sorbet a little something extra, which it did. I used Poire Williams, which is a fantastic pear brandy, but you could also use an orange liquor such as Grand Marnier or anything that looks complementary.
For most ice cream makers this will make a double batch, so feel free to cut the recipe in half. I just believe that when it’s hot out there’s no reason to skimp on delicious dessert. So I make lots of it.
Jan 8
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I’ve learned a lot over the past year. One of the most important lessons, in my opinion, was about respecting our food. At school my classmates and I cooked with an assortment of meat and dairy products each day, and I was always a bit disturbed by how the instructors were so dismissive of the animals we were eating. I remember one particular class where the instructor stated “Do not think of this as an animal. It’s factory raised meat, meant for our consumption.” I have no idea if this bothered any of my classmates. I know that the point of culinary school is to cook professionally and that the majority of consumers want meat and dairy, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the fact that animals lose their lives in the process, often in cruel ways. I was told I’d eventually become desensitized by the experience and in some ways that was true. But ultimately I became a much more conscious consumer.
I don’t see myself ever giving up meat and dairy completely, but I believe in limiting my intake. I don’t need milk in my cereal and meat on my dinner plate every day. There are many other delicious options. I began making these breakfast bars recently as a healthy, inexpensive alternative to processed store-bought bars. Not only are they vegan but they’re very filling and keep me energized throughout the day. I make them on the weekends and then grab one on the go every morning. The nice thing about this recipe is that the ingredients are flexible so you can change it up a bit each time to prevent boredom. For example, you can substitute agave nectar or corn syrup in place of the maple syrup, use peanut instead of cashew butter… endless possibilities. My favorite combination so far is cashew butter, almonds, maple syrup and dried cranberries.
Dec 14
This tart is wonderful to serve as an appetizer at holiday parties. All of the components can be made separately in advance. Right before guests arrive you can build the tart and heat it briefly for a no hassle treat that is delicious and very impressive. It will also travel well.
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
This recipe will make 6 4-inch round tarts. I recommend using shells such as these
Theme: Linen by The Theme Foundry
