Kitchen Gadget #7: Silicon Muffin Cups (take 2)

I'm not generally one to do much baking but on occasion I bring out the bakers hat and get to work. I don't do fancy cakes or fancy pastries. Just the good ole' fashion muffins, cookies, and breads. This past Christmas I tried my hand at sugar cookies. And, while the cookies came out fine the frosting (I thought I'd be adventurous and decorate) was not so fine. I have no idea what I did wrong, those cookies were mostly just looked at.

I'm still working on perfecting my chili recipe which means, now that the weather is cooling off a bit, a lot of chili round here.

Tonight was no exception. It was chili and rice. Yes, rice. I grew up eating chili on rice. I remember going to a restaurant, ordering chili, and being shocked when they did not bring me any rice. Doesn't everyone eat their chili on top of rice?

We headed out for a jog before dinner and as I jogged around the park my mind wondered to corn bread. I'm not a huge fan but when mixed with pumpkin I could very well jump on board.

I got home, pre-heated the oven and through some ingredients together.

Brought out my silicon muffin cups, large and small, and baked up some yummy pumpkin corn bread.

These silicon muffin cups are incredibly easy to use. Muffins pop right out when cooled, they clean up easily and they are reusable. When I got 12 of the large muffin cups I also picked up 12 mini muffin cups. I used those a lot when I made baby food for the little one. I made muffins for her on a regular basis. Great way to introduce protein and other great nutrients in a small portion size. Just right for baby. Now, she's fascinated by these little mini cups.

She loads them up with her food (tonight she loaded them with edamame) and proceeds to give it to her bear. I think she likes the vibrant colors.

I don't mind the paper cups especially when baking for a crowd or on the go but these silicon cups are so useful for just baking at home.

Pumpkin Corn Bread (Southern Style)

2 cups spelt flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 cups cornmeal
1 15 oz can organic pumpkin puree
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons flax meal
2/3 cups apple sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup almond milk

Pre-heat oven to 350º. Line your muffin pan with silicon cups (or paper cups).

In a small bowl whisk the apple cider vinegar and milk together, set aside.  In a large mixing bowl mix the dry ingredients, spelt, baking powder and soda, salt, spice, and cornmeal. In a medium bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. Add the milk mixture to the wet ingredients, stir. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until incorporated.

Get your hands in there, it's fun!

Fill the muffin tins about 3/4 full. I use an ice cream scoop. Bake for 20 minutes. For mini muffin cups, bake for 10-14 minutes.

Southern style muffins are less sweet, keep that in mind when you make these. I loved them! Me, the one who isn't a huge fan of corn bread.

Cheers and happy eating!

Kitchen Gadget # 6: Convection Oven

In most of the US Fall has arrived. And, although, technically it has here as well it's still quite warm during the day. Here in the Southwest temperatures don't start to drop until closer to Halloween. I remember when I was a kid the weeks leading up to Halloween were warm and delightful, so I seemed to always choose my costume accordingly. But, without fail, each year, that evening would turn cold and I'd have to cover my carefully thought out costume with a coat. I should have learned. :)

Halloween Time!

With the warm weather still holding on like a squirrel with his last acorn I decided to bring out my convection oven.

This small oven is wonderful on a hot day! My kitchen doesn't heat up and foods cook just a tad quicker. It's small which makes it great for cooking for a small bunch. Cooking for a crowd? You may need to stick with the regular oven.

What have I cooked in this tiny marvel?

Tater tots (my vice!)
Sweet potato fries
Small casserole
Small lasagna
"Meat" ball subs
Roasted peppers (it has a broiler too!)
Brussel sprouts

I've used it so much (you can tell by how dirty it is) for so many things! I don't know what I ever did without one. It also doubles as a toaster oven. Toasting bread, garlic toast, pita bread. It's all done in a snap without heating up the house.

Basically, anything you cook in your large oven you can cook in a convection oven. Of course, this would depend on the size of the food item.

Tonight I roasted some brussel sprouts. These are my newest favorite vegetable. I hated them until I roasted fresh brussels. Wow! What a difference fresh and roasted makes!  If you are like me and have sworn these puppies off, please just give them one more look.

So Much Better Than I Ever Thought Brussel Sprouts:

1-2 lbs brussel sprouts, brown ends discarded
1-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste (I like mine salty)
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Toss all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Preheat oven 400º. Line your baking sheet with foil and spray, lightly, with olive oil spray.  Place the brussel sprouts on the lined baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes. They should be brown and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Even preheating takes no time at all. Trust me, if you don't have a convection oven, they are so very worth the purchase!

Do you have a convection oven? If so, what do you love to cook in it? Do you bring it out during the warmer months?

Cheers and happy eating!

Kitchen Gadget # 5: Rice Cooker

I spent another day in the kitchen testing, testing, testing. What kitchen gadget did I use quite a bit today?

You said it, rice cooker!

I know, I know, rice is super simple to cook on the stove top. Boil some water, add rice, lid, simmer for 20 or so minutes and done. But, for some reason I absolutely love my rice cooker!

I use it all the time! This small one is my favorite of the two that I have. I have a larger rice cooker but I never seem to know when the rice will be done. Makes it more difficult to time food. The manual just gives a ball park which doesn't seem to work well for me. Their ball park and mine are so different. Besides that, I tend to make 1-1 1/2 cups of rice at a time so a little rice cooker is just what I need.

Today, while cooking for the week, I made some jasmin rice to go along side my chili and basamati for a pumpkin saag.

The good thing about my larger rice cooker is it's ability to cook brown rice. My pressure cooker does a fine job as well. But, that's for another day.

There are many different brands out there to choose from. This little Rival has worked well for years! Easy to clean. Easy to use. Holds the perfect quantity of rice.

I've made quinoa and couscous in my rice cooker as well. Couscous is so very simple. I bring the water to a boil in the rice cooker, add the couscous and the lid and let sit for about 10 minutes. Perfect every time!

This evening for dinner I went all pumpkin!

Pumpkin Saag. Slightly modified recipe out of Veganomicon.  Naan. Basamati rice. And, to make it all super, Wasatch Pumpkin Ale.  The Pumpkin Saag was so good! I'm glad I added more seasonings to it though. Started off a bit bland for my taste.

You can find the recipe here.

With the seeds, I roasted them with some chili powder and salt.

Pumpkin Seeds, spiced!

Seeds from 1 pumpkin
Water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-4 tablespoons chili powder
Salt to taste

Clean out the pumpkin. Remove all the seeds and wash well in a strainer. Place in a bowl with the other ingredients, mix well. Roast at 400º for 20-30 minutes.

This recipe was modified from one I found from a lovely blogger on Twitter, Queen of Quinoa.

Dinner was excellent!

 Do you cook anything different in your rice cooker?

Cheers and happy eating!

Kitchen Gadget # 4: Snack cup

Alright so a snack cup isn't technically a kitchen gadget but I do store it in the kitchen and it does house food. So, here goes. Today is all about the snack cup which went with us on a trip to the zoo.

*Disclaimer* I know the zoo is a sore point for many vegans. I do, truly, understand your feelings and point. But, with that said, I am a stay at home mom for a very curious little 18 month old girl. She LOVES animals more than any sweets I could ever offer. She is so curious as to what they look like, what sounds they make, and well, just seeing them. So, I've chosen to continue to take her to the zoo on the premise that she is learning many different lessons while being there. She can not only learn about each animal but will have a knowledge of what being in captivity really means. And, to be honest, it's a great way to get out into fresh air and wonder. Learn. Love.

These simple little snack cups are incredibly handy with a toddler on the move. Hard plastic bottom with two handles and a soft top for easy access to the goodies inside. Less fuss. Less mess.

My little one carries these around while we're out and about. She has a sense of independence and I know she'll be able to keep things clean. I tried Ziploc bags for a bit but she was having troubles holding the bag open with one hand while trying to grab the food with the other. Not enough dexterity. These solve that problem!

You can find these nifty little cups at any baby store or at my favorite store, Target!  They even have them on Amazon.

Today these little greatness cups headed to the zoo with us. I brought two. One had the favorite, pretzels while the other had freeze dried unsweetened fruit. Both are a big hit with the little one. Both work wonders in these little cups.

Snack cup in hand

We met a friend and her daughter at the zoo today. Z is on the right. She and J are look like sisters, it's funny. J's big brother came along too. His school is out this week for fall break. We weren't able to go away, out of town, so he settled for a trip to the zoo. I'm pretty sure he too had a good time.

The elephants were out this go around. Seeing as we go weekly there are always different things to see each time.  I love the elephant family the zoo has!

Nursing baby

J's favorite, most days, animal at the zoo is the giraffe. She loves his long neck! She signs giraffe almost all the time and has several stuffed animals at home. Today I was worried she would throw her snack cup into the area where the giraffes live. She inadvertently gave a peacock a cookie. She dropped it, the peacock went after it, after moving my little one's foot out of the way. Wow, he scared me a bit.

Hello

I'm trying out a new camera and zoom lens. I was taking a photo of the giraffe in the background when this one popped up right in front of my camera. I stepped back thinking he was way too close! Funny!

Snacks are very important for a child. Actually, snacks are great for adults too! Did you know it's best to eat small meals/snacks every two hours. I try to do that as much as I can but sometimes it's just not feasible.

Great snacks for the kiddos:
Pretzels
Veggie sticks
Crackers (Nature Made has a great sunflower basil flavor, sweet potato cinnamon is great too!)
That's It fruit bars (Whole Foods. 2-3 ingredients, that's it)
Freeze dried fruits, unsweetened (Trader Joe's)
Vegan animal crackers (check the labels some contain milk, even within one brand)

These all work great in those handy snack cups.

I think J likes that she can set those cups down in her bag and come back for more later. See, independence. She loves it.

Look! A ladybug!

I don't know what I'd do without these cups. Where were they when I was little? Such a great invention!! Sometimes while driving home from an outing I even use them to snack whatever the little one didn't finish. Moma's get hungry too!

As much as the little one seems to love dirt I will not add that to my list of great snacks for kids. Luckily, today, she just played in the dirt.

The tiger J got so excited to see! Taken by my friend Kelly. She was teaching my about my camera.

What are your favorite snacks for your kiddos?

Do you use snack cups or something else?

Cheers and happy eating!

Kitchen Gadget # 3: Taco Shell Mold. ::It's National Taco Day!::

Hello there readers, welcome to all you new readers. I loved your comments on my last two blogs. Keep them coming. They bring a smile!

Today is National Taco Day. I admit, I did not know this fact until recently, so I didn't plan on tacos for dinner this evening. Instead I had them for breakfast. Dinner for breakfast! What's wrong with that?

I have these fancy dancy taco shell molds that I don't use often (I forget I have them tucked back behind the pots and pans) but work well for taco salads. A little spin on National Taco Day. Taco salad.

Taco Salad Molds

These little star shaped molds are super easy to use. I placed my tortillas inside and pressed a bit to get them into the "shape." I sprayed with a bit of olive oil and baked at 350º for 15 minutes. They came out toasty and perfect. When making be sure to check frequently to be sure they don't burn.

Fillings for tacos can be anything you have around the house.

Beans
Rice
Fake meats (spiced with taco seasoning)
Taco Style Chickpeas
Toppings, various types and amounts

Tuesday is salad night in this house full of health. We always make a rather large salad. Enough for dinner that evening and lunches the rest of the week. I also use this night to experiment, if time warrants, anything I feel like cooking up. This past Tuesday I had a little extra time so I got the pressure cooker out and made up a quick soup (so yummy!). As it sat these past two days it become more of a stew but still so good.

I decided that since my soup (recipe below) was spicy, had beans, corn and all the yumminess tacos deserve it would be a great filling!

I always have black olives on hand (the little one loves them) edamame as well. I make a large batch on Sundays for the week. Cut up some kale and romaine, lemons, cilantro and added some store bought salsa. Breakfast was so good!!

Tacos are so simple. So tasty. So filling. Add what you have. That's the beauty of it all.

My Bean and Rice Soup that I used as my filling is a great soup the evening you make it. As a leftover use it for taco salad. It's even better.

Mexican Bean & Rice Soup

1/2 cup dried black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup short grain brown rice
4 carrots, small dice
3 stalks celery, small dice
4-5 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 onion, minced
8 cups water
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can corn
1 chili in adobo sauce, chopped
1/2-1 teaspoon adobo sauce (optional, this will make it spicy!)
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1 rounded teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt and extra pepper to taste

**I'm never prepared enough to soak beans over night. If you find this is the case for you follow the instructions below. If you do soak your beans, which greatly cuts down on the time, reduce initial cook time to 20-25 minutes.

Place beans, lentils, rice, onion, garlic, chili, adobo sauce, and seasonings into an electric pressure cooker. Seal. Cook on high for 38 minutes. Release pressure, quick method (follow your pressure cooker manual). Add the carrots, celery and corn. Bring to high pressure, again, for 1-2 minutes depending on how "done" you want your vegetables. Season to taste and enjoy.

Then enjoy again as a taco salad!

Taco Salad

2 small flour tortillas
1/2-1 cup leftover Mexican Bean & Rice soup (if still watery, drain a bit)
1 cup, mixed, kale and romaine
1/4 cup black olives
1/2 cup salsa
Lemon, juiced, add to taste

Place the tortillas in your salad mold. Preheat oven 350º. Spray tortillas with a little oil (optional). Cook, watching carefully, for 10-15 minutes or until crisp and starting to brown.
Fill with all your yummy fillings. Enjoy!

On the side I used some leftover topping ingredients (I seem to always cut more than needed) and made a salad. Kale, romain, black olives, edamame (I had some left in the fridge) with lemon juice and a little salt.

I haven't done a playlist in awhile. So, here's a treat! A playlist from the writing of this blog. So fun!

Playlist:
Scorch the Ground - Seabound
Monster:Murder:Kill - Combichrist
So Cruel - U2
Escapist - CTRL
Amsterdam - Coldplay
God is God - Juno Reactor
Relict - Accessory
Push - Madonna

Cheers and happy eating!

Cooking Gadget #2: Orange Peeler

Yesterday we spoke about my egg slicer that I never use for eggs but instead for mushrooms. Olives work as well, but I digress.

Today it's all about the wonderful fabulous orange peeler!

Once upon a time I was a distributor for Pampered Chef. I do love the products but that was ages ago, I no longer do the selling but I sure do still use some of their products. This is where I discovered the orange peeler.

Simple, right? I thought so too. I thought, who needs help peeling an orange? They aren't THAT hard, right? Well, without this, make my life easier, gadget I tend to get orange peel up under my nails and make quite a mess of the orange itself. So, I suppose you don't need this gadget but at somewhere under $3 it's a time saver for sure!

What did I do with this peeler this morning? Well, I made my little one's breakfast. Her breakfast varies from day to day but today she seemed in the mood for fruit. She loves it and I love to give her delicious nutritious fruits. They are so yum!

This morning was a plate of various berries I like to keep on hand as well as a banana. I added some fresh chickpeas (made yesterday, actually) and edamame. She loves both and it's a great way to add protein and fiber.

Strawberries, rasberries, blackberries, blueberries, banana, chickpeas, and edamame

She did not eat her whole plate, moma had to help out.

Along with her plate of breakfast goodness I made up some juice. This is where the peeler came in.

I recently taught a workshop on juicing and smoothies. Something I shared in class is how easy it is to juice for yourself and your family. I don't buy the pre-made sugary juices from the stores, rather I make my own. I can save it for up to 3 days in glass or BPA free jars and she's got lot's of nutrition packed into one of her sippy cups!  If you're interested the next workshop is based on soups! I can't wait. Check out my Facebook for details.

My juice ingredients of choice were two oranges (see, I did use the peeler!), 5 strawberries, 1 kale stalk, a small handful of dandelion greens, 1 pear, and a handful of celery (enough to make about 32 oz of juice). Run each through your juicer, I like to start with the greens, and drink up. Enjoy!

To the little one's juice I added just a touch of maple syrup to cut a bit of the bitter that is sometimes too much for her. For me, it was so good just the way it was! Packed with nutrients!

For those of you not too familiar with dandelion greens they are incredibly nutritious. This is why I like to use them in my juices. I'm not fond of eating them raw, unless they are mixed in a salad, so juicing ensures I get all their nutrients.

This wondrous greens are loaded with calcium (1 cup yields 103 mg), Iron (1 cup yields 1.7 mg), as well as other minerals, copper, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, manganese. They are also a great source of protein. All essential amino acids protein! Wow! Great for us veg heads, right!? 1 cup of chopped up dandelion greens will give you 1.5 grams of protein. This green, as with other greens, is low in calories. So, no worries there. 25 calories per 1 cup of greens.

Now, go get yourself an orange peeler and dandelion greens and make yourself some juice!

What is your favorite juice?

Cheers and happy eating!

Such a busy day! Testing!

First day of Vegan Mofo and here I am blogging at 7pm! Yes, I'm behind! But, let me tell you about my day.

I woke 12 hours ago ready to start my day. For the last 2 weeks I've been "testing" recipes for a business venture I'm looking to pursue. Plant-Based Personal Chef. Today was another testing day. My steps are simple. Go grocery shopping, pick up fresh bread (if needed), cook, package, dishes (interlaced throughout the day). Sounds easy, right?

Wow! It's hard work! Rewarding. But, taxing. Maybe I'm just getting old??!!

Last night I took some time to prepare my menu for the week. I used to do this on Thursday evening to subsequently shop on Fridays but with shopping on Mondays, for the time being, busily worked on it last night. Anyway, when preparing a menu I decide on what we will be having for dinner each night as well as ingredients I need to get and at which store. I then wrote down each item I would be cooking including all the "kitchen gadgets," I would need and all the ingredients for each. This makes it easier to know how many total carrots (or other item) I would need. This makes prep that much easier.

Menu:
Monday: BBQ Ranch Quinoa Salad. This is a recipe I was so excited to try off of Wendy Polisi's page Cooking Quinoa.  This is to be served with chips and salsa. Guacamole too!

Tuesday: Since I've gotten in the habit of salads on Tuesdays I'm keeping with the theme. Big Ole Salad night! With a Country French bread.

Wednesday: Pita sandwich. Filled with a quinoa, chickpea salad. With black-eyed pea hummus. Sweet potato fries as a side dish.

Thursday: Chili (oh yes! It's that time of year again. I can finalize my recipe!) with rice. Cornbread as a side dish.

Friday: Spaghetti with "meatballs." Garlic bread as a side

Saturday: Tunisian Bean Stew with Country French Bread. Salad as a side dish. I was wanting to use pumpkin since it's October and all so I found a great recipe on Susan's website, Fat Free Vegan.

Sunday: Roasted Squash stuffed with quinoa. Cranberry green beans (getting ready for Thanksgiving too!) as a side dish.

One thing I learned in Culinary School (among many, of course) was getting everything ready for prep. Mis En Place. If I need carrots for 4 of my recipes it would be best to get them all prepped at once. It does seem to make things a tad easier.

I felt as though I had an assembly line going on for produce. I had 7 onions to cut!

One of my favorite kitchen gadgets, my egg slicer. Although, I never use it for eggs. Funny, huh? I use it for mushrooms. Sometimes black or green olives. It's so convenient and easy to use!

For my chili I roast up some red bell peppers and jalapenos. Today, I did something a little differently. I cut the red bells into large slices. The jalapeno, I cut in half. I roasted that way, it was actually easier than doing them whole. I love roasted veggies!

I believe I sauteed a pound a half of mushrooms today. I guess I like to incorporate mushrooms. They are so flavorful, meaty, and full of great nutritious value.

Today's cook took 8 hours. That's not including the 2 hours it took to shop. I'm still learning and I've realized this one every recipe I chose had many components. Each one took longer than anticipated which is why my 5-6 hour cook time ended up being extended. I'm in learning mode, that's for sure. 

But!

I'm wiped!

We are certainly prepared for the week. And, the hubby got dinner on the table tonight. He did the finishing touches so I could spend some time with my little one. 

This is why I do this! More time with the family. So, yes, a little late on my blog but I have a good excuse, right? And, I now have dinner for the week! Yay!

What time savers do you do in the kitchen? 

Do you ever prepare meals ahead of time?