Rosemary Butter Cake

Twitter reunited me with this cake.  I first made it nearly 8 years ago for my weekly new Moms  group.  Our meetings rotated through each other’s houses, and each host provided the requisite snacks and drinks.  As neurotic new mothers, we were all on different diets, sometimes to address colicky kids, sometimes to address our stretched-out waistlines.  I knew I should offer something healthy, but for whatever reason, that day I just wanted something warm and comforting.  The rosemary bush in my garden was growing unruly, and I’d just read somewhere that the herb was traditionally thought to be good for improving memory.  I remembered a recipe for rosemary cake in Nigella Lawson’s “How to Be a Domestic Goddess” that had intrigued me but I’d never tried.  Given that new mothers have notoriously addled brains, rosemary cake seemed perfect.  It got the best possible type of feedback from a group pre-occupied with diaper changing, nursing, and conversation: it was all eaten save for a slice or two.  And it absolutely lived up to my expectations.  This was an aromatic cake whose flavor pleasantly lingered, and I thought about it for days after the last slice was gone.  While I considered making it many times over the next several years, the constant urge to try something new meant I chose other recipes and didn’t bake it again.

Enter Twitter.  I follow lots of local food lovers with my account.  I find it’s a wonderful way to peek just for a moment at what other people are eating, cooking, and reading.  One day I saw a tweet about a food photography workshop offered by the gracious and talented Viv (@bonnevivante) and Helen (@sweettartelette–forgive the Twitter-ese).  I signed up for the class, and when it came time to bake something to photograph, the rosemary cake was the first thing to pop into my head.  So after nearly 8 years, I again shared this cake with new friends.  And with Helen’s styling help, I took a better picture of it than I ever would have been able to at home.

I won’t wait 8 years to bake the rosemary cake again, and if you want to try it as well, here’s the recipe.  I love this cake on its own, but it would also be lovely with some lightly sweetened whipped cream, maybe with a bit of lemon zest grated in.

Rosemary Butter Cake

Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How To Be a Domestic Goddess

I cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/3 c. cake flour*

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. vanilla extract

2 t. chopped rosemary needles (small, but not too fine, you want a little texture and lovely green flecks)

4 T. whole or 2% milk

1-2 T. granulated or raw sugar for sprinkling

A 6-8-inch piece of rosemary (optional)

Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, and line it with parchment paper.  Preheat the oven to 350.  Cream the butter with an electric or stand mixer, and when it’s smooth, add the sugar and cream until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, folding in a spoonful of flour after each egg.  Add the vanilla.  Turn off the mixer, fold in the rest of the flour with a rubber spatula, then fold in the rosemary.  Mix in the milk to thin the batter, then pour into the pan.  The batter will be gloppy rather than runny and smooth.  Sprinkle with some sugar, and if you are using the rosemary branch, lay it down the center of the cake.  Bake for an hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Let the cake cook in its pan on a wire rack, and when it’s completely cold remove it from the pan and wrap it in foil until it’s ready to eat.  It will last several day, and gets even better on the second or third day.  Oh, and if you’ve used that rosemary branch, remember to take it off the cake before serving.

*King Arthur makes unbleached cake flour, which works well in this cake.

Waffled Grilled Cheese

Okay, this is more of a “duh” tip than an actual recipe.  It is, however, one that makes life a lot easier when you’re in a rush for lunch or dinner; one of those little “ah-has” that might just keep you from reaching for the takeout menu.  Just use your waffle iron, George Foreman grill-style, to make no-butter-added grilled cheese.  Or any kind of grilled sandwich for that matter.  Kids and adults love the breakfast for dinner feel of eating a sandwich with those distinctive pockets in it.  Pop (my father) was cranking out grilled turkey & smoked Beecher’s Flagship on a recent visit.  So use your imagination and play a little.

Tips:

• Don’t overstuff the sandwich, use a high temperature setting, then press down to get the full melty-gooey-waffle effect.
• If cheese drips in the iron, leave it open to cool, then use a Qtip to pry the crusty bits free without scratching the nonstick surface.
• Keep those boxes of tomato soup on hand (we like Imagine, Pacific, and Trader Joe’s) for instant lunch or dinner.  Just remember to read the labels–you want to recognize all of the ingredients and be sure there’s not too much sodium.
• If you really want to push the envelope of waffle iron cooking, you gotta check out the Waffleizer.  Genius.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili

You stumble through the door after a long day of work.  Maybe a kid or two (or five) is underfoot.  You plop on the couch, relieved to just be out of the cold and home at last.  And you’re hungry.  Then you catch the smell of sweet squash, roasting tomatoes, and warm cumin emanating from your kitchen.  Pat yourself on the back, clever one.  Dinner is ready.

If you use a slow cooker, you know the joy of this moment.  If you don’t use one yet, then I’m already excited for you, and the thrill that you too will experience.  In the winter, I get my slow cooker out about once a week, invest  30 minutes tops the night before prepping and chopping, turn it on in the morning, and come home to a hearty, healthy dinner.  And the bonus–everyone in the house can be on different schedules and we all get a great meal.

This recipe is a family favorite because it’s a great base that you can adjust to everyone’s tastes.  I’m a big believer in the notion that the kids eat what my husband and I eat (contrary to my kids’ desires, I am not a short-order cook).  But their 7 and 3 year-old palates are not quite up to sriracha-like spice levels yet, and they tend to shun anything that they find to be too “leafy.”  So while this recipe may not seem like much on its own, it works because the kids love the base, but my husband and I can spice it up with a few extras at the table.  And the condiments let the kids cautiously explore new tastes as well.

Your slow cooker should be at least half full (I'm cutting it close here), but not more than 3/4 full to avoid spillage.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili (adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 medium red pepper, diced

1 crushed garlic clove (optional)

2 T. olive oil

2 t. cumin

2 T. mild chili powder

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut to 1-in dice (enough to yield about 4 c.)

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glen Fire-Roasted tomatoes)

1 can pinto beans, rinsed & drained

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 1/2 c. water

Garnish ideas: cotija cheese, fresh cilantro sprigs, lime wedges, sour cream, diced avocado or guacamole, sriracha sauce, tobasco, chili oil, roasted cashews

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, red pepper, and garlic (if using) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the spices, give them a stir, and cook for another minute.  Spread the mixture in the bottom of your slow cooker, and layer on the next 6 ingredients, finishing with the water.  If you are making this ahead, put the lid on the slow cooker insert and refrigerate until ready to use.  When time to cook, set to LOW and cook 8 hours (then go about your day, smug with the knowledge that dinner is done).  Serve with garnishes of your choice, a salad, and some good bread.  Makes 6-8 servings, depending on how hungry everyone is.

We like our chili with warm cornbread, butter, and honey. The garnish is cotija cheese, a salty, crumbly Mexican cheese that's a bit like feta.

Tips:

• If you don’t already own a slow cooker, it doesn’t have to be an expensive purchase by any means.  You’ll find simple plug and go models and others that have lots of bells and whistles.  I recommend getting one that has a high & low setting, and that switches to “warm” after the cooking cycle is done.  That way you don’t have to worry about being home as soon as the food is finished.
• I tend to make a lot of vegetarian soups, stews, and curries in my slow cooker, and these freeze really well.  Sometimes I even increase the recipe by 1.5-2x so that I’m sure to have leftovers.  Just let the food cool, then divide leftovers among quart-size freezer bags (and be sure to label and date them).  Then on the morning of the day you want to serve the food, pop a bag in the fridge dump the contents into a pan, and warm on the stove when you’re ready to eat.  If you need a meal last minute, put the bag in a bowl of warm water to release the chili, then pour into pan.  Warm slowly on the stovetop so it doesn’t stick or burn.
• Some people are put off by the work involved with prepping a butternut squash.  Here are a few things I’ve picked up over time that make the job a little easier.  I like to buy one that’s bigger than I need, so that I have some already cut up that can be used later in the week.  A vegetable peeler will make short work of the rind.  Then cut off both ends, and slice the squash lengthways with your biggest, sharpest knife.  Use a melon baller or small ice cream scoop to clear out the seeds.  Then cut to 1-inch cubes and you’re done.  Store any extras in an airtight container in the fridge.  Later in the week toss the remaining cubes with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme, roast at 400 for about 25 minutes (until tender and slightly brown) and you have a great, easy side dish.  Roast with some peeled diced parsnips and it’s downright fancy.
• If you have kids, the condiments can be a fun way to encourage them to try new things.  Mine love serving themselves from little bowls on the table.  They’ll even try the leafy things in small doses, and that’s huge in our house.

O crumbles some cheese into his chili.

 

DIY Pancake Mix

 

That griddle is clean, I swear. It's just really well-seasoned.

When I was a kid, I loved to get up early, especially on Saturday mornings.  I had the whole house to myself, and got to watch whatever I wanted on television.  I’d stumble from my room down our wide staircase to the living room, walk to the TV, pull the button to switch it on, and turn the dial to one of the 5 analog stations I had to choose from.  Then I’d run to the couch, trying to get there before the screen flickered to life.  I’d watch Bugs Bunny, Isis, Shazam, and Fat Albert (“Hey, Hey, Hey…”).  My Mom was usually the next one out of bed, and most Saturdays she’d engage in that great American weekend ritual:  making pancakes.  She’d get out the ubiquitous yellow box, add eggs and milk to the mix, and before we knew it we had fluffy white frisbees on our plates.  We’d then grab the syrup lady by the waist, pour some sweet goo all over our margarined discs, and dig in.  I adored every cotton candy-like bite.  When I set up my own kitchen, I also reached for that familiar yellow box when it came time to make pancakes and waffles.  Honestly, it never occurred to me that there was another option.  Well, okay, I knew recipes existed, but pancakes seemed like such a silly thing to make from scratch when the mix of my childhood was so accessible.  Plus, I live in Seattle, where weekend brunch is a way of life and restaurants have turned pancakes into an art form (literally–my daughter was once served one in the shape of a hot-air balloon, done freehand by a batter-dispenser wielding line-cook artist).  Then I was given a copy of Deborah Madison’s “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.”  Many recipes quickly became staples in our kitchen (and still are), but the book included several varietes of pancake, which absolutely baffled me.  One Saturday I woke up with a hankering for pancakes, but the yellow box was empty.  I perused Deborah’s basic recipe and thought, “why not?  I’ve got flour, baking powder, milk, eggs.  And hey, I can pour wet into dry, piece of cake!”  About 20 minutes later, we had real pancakes.  Slightly crispy on the outside, airy on the inside.  They soaked up butter & maple syrup like delicate sponges.  They were so good and so easy that that empty yellow box turned out to be the last one I would ever buy.

I still like to get up early, and while  I unfortunately can no longer watch Isis (someone bring it back, please!), I’ve used the time to establish our own family pancake ritual.  But instead of confining it to the weekend, I somehow decided my kids needed a mid-week breakfast boost, so our pancake day is Wednesday.  Yes, Wednesday.  Maybe it was working-mother guilt that initially pushed me into it, as if somehow getting up at the crack of dawn to cook my kids a hot breakfast would make up for the fact that they went to daycare (oy–that’s a whole other story, and I’m over-sharing now).  But regardless of the reason, my kids look forward to Wednesday breakfast (“It’s pancake day!”), and I’ve picked up enough tips and tricks from many wise cooks along the way that what started as stressed-out mixing, griddling and flipping has turned into a simple little ritual that I look forward to as well.  And in case you wondered, my Mom still makes pancakes every Saturday for my lucky sister’s family, but not from the yellow box.

This recipe, adapted from Nigella Lawson’s “Nigella Express,” makes our Wednesday ritual possible.  I’ve adjusted it to make it a whole food, whole grain version of the yellow box stuff, and it makes 4 Wednesdays worth of pancakes.  So just scoop dry into wet and you’re rolling.  Easy peasy.

You can have this on the table in 10 minutes. Seriously.

DIY Pancake Mix

4 c. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, Whole Grain Spelt Flour, or Emmer Flour*

3 T. Baking Powder

2 t. Baking Soda

1 t. salt

3 t. cinnamon (optional but highly recommended.  Trust me.)

Combine ingredients in a bowl, mix gently but thoroughly with a whisk, and store in an airtight container.

On your own special pancake day, put a non-stick skillet on your stove at medium heat.   Then combine the ingredients below in a large (at least 4 c.) liquid measuring cup or pitcher:

1 c. milk or buttermilk

1 egg

1 T. melted butter, coconut oil, or canola oil

1 t. vanilla (optional)

Whisk all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.  Add 1 c. pancake mix, and stir until just combined (don’t overmix or your pancakes will be like hockey pucks, and no one likes that).  Test your skillet by flicking a drop of water on it.  If it sizzles you’re ready to start cooking.  Brush it with canola oil (I pour a little on the pan and wipe it around with a folded paper towel).  Pour on dollops of batter (about 1/4 – 1/3 cup).  After 1-2 minutes, bubbles will begin to form on the surface of the pancakes.  Flip ’em over.  Cook on the second side for another 1-2 minutes.  Serve with butter, real maple syrup, powdered sugar and lemon, whatever sounds good to you that day.

Makes 8-12 pancakes, depending on how large you make them.

Tips:

• For Blueberry pancakes, sprinkle on the blueberries right after pouring the pancakes onto the skillet, like this: 
  

  See those little bubbles? Time to flip!

   If you mix them into the batter your pancakes will turn blue (though if that would be good thing in your house, mix away).  If blueberries aren’t in season, use frozen ones rather than fresh ones that have flown halfway around the globe.  The frozen ones are tastier and cheaper.  If your frozen berries are really big, nuke them in the microwave for about 15 seconds before using (you’ll need about a cup).  Give the pancakes a full 2 minutes too cook after flipping and let them rest for a couple of minutes before serving, because the area around the berries can be a little gummy otherwise.

• Save even more time by combining the wet ingredients in a measuring cup the night before, covering it, and putting it in the fridge.  In the morning, give the wet ingredients a quick whisk before adding the cup of dry mix.
• Boost the fiber and omega 3’s by adding 2T flax meal to your pancakes.  I do this when I make them rather than adding to the mix, because I don’t have room to keep the mix in the fridge.  You may find you need a wee bit more buttermilk if you do this so that your pancakes aren’t too thick.
• Make them gluten-free!  Bob’s Gluten Free all-purpose flour works well here (thanks, Bob!)  Just add 3 t. xantham gum to your mix, store it in the fridge, and, of course, be sure to use GF baking powder and vanilla (if using).  The batter will be thick, so spread them around a bit.
• Do a Jack Johnson and make Banana Pancakes.  Mash a ripe banana, reduce the buttermilk to 3/4 c., and add the bananas to the wet ingredients.  You can use the same technique with pureed or canned sweet potatoes or pumpkin too–just use 1/2 c. of either, and reduce the buttermilk to 3/4 of a cup.
• And if you have leftovers, warm them in the toaster on a low setting (with the defrost button if you have one).  The toaster warms them gently while keeping the outside crispy.

*Emmer is an ancient grain, similar to spelt, that’s available from bluebirdgrainfarms.com.