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.
I’ve had dried lavender burning a hole in my pantry for ages, so I decided it was time to make something yummy. Once I started looking for ideas, I was amazed to discover that there’s an entire cookbook dedicated to lavender. This book is full of delicious sounding savory and sweet recipes, divided by seasons. I plan to start making my way through The Lavender Cookbook
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 16
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I just can’t stay away...
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 9
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I love making chutneys. They’re simple to make and pair perfectly with chicken or pork for a tasty weeknight meal. Many chutney recipes use raisins; I decided to use dried cherries instead.
Oct 4
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I recommend using a tart apple such as Granny Smith. This recipe makes 6 tartlets, using 3 inch tart molds such as these.
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 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 20
As much as I love warm weather, I look forward to fall every year. Apple picking is my cherished yearly tradition signaling autumn leaves, cool weather, cider, winter squash, and holidays with family.
2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
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.
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