Home Alone: Lemony Yogurt Coffee Cake

Last weekend hubby was away at a tradeshow, so for the first time in a long time I was alone. I thought I'd enjoy it, but sappy 'ol me missed the big guy. So, to keep myself busy, I cooked.

It all started with a craving for something sweet the first night. There is something about lemon that makes my mouth water (I guess that's a product of the sourness, but it's also soooo tasty!), and I had just watched an episode of Simple, Fresh, Delicious on Viva and Lovoni Walker had made Lemon Yogurt Cake, so I decided to give it a whirl. This was at 9:30 at night. I think I was done about 11:30. I was so tired, I fell asleep right away, which is good when the bed is empty and you have to invite the dog up to fill it (she was very happy).

This is absolutely delicious and the lemon syrup on top absolutely clinches the deal! I didn't have plain yogurt, and I wasn't about to go out at 10:00 to find some, so I used raspberry and reduced the sugar a bit. I had panics because my lemons weren't giving up their peel, so I ended up adding a packet of dehydrated lemon juice. I also used only lemon juice in the syrup, because I wanted it tart. The cake is crumblier than my own recipe (more like a coffee cake), but no less good in the end.

Honestly though, I think it's a bit more work than even I am willing to do, so I'll stick with my tried and true recipe for the lemon poppy seed loaf below (which is more like a pound cake). I bet you could substitute the butter for full fat yogurt in my recipe and it would be ultra moist!

Trust me, it tasted as good as it looks!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened, room temperature
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt, room temperature
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Lemon Syrup

• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

---

Instructions

To make the lemon syrup, heat and stir all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until thickened slightly.
Grease a 9 inch x 5 inch (23 cm x 12.5 cm) loaf pan. Line base and sides with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180?C). Beat butter, yogurt, honey and zest in a medium bowl using an electric mixer until combined.
Beat eggs and sugar in small bowl using an electric mixer until, thick and creamy. Stir egg mixture into yogurt mixture with flour and baking powder. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until cooked when tested.
Pour hot syrup over hot cake; let stand until cold.

Cuts into about 12 slices

Here's my own recipe that I've been making for years:

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
Lemon and poppy seeds are some of my favourite things!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

Syrup:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 cup lemon juice

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, poppy seeds, lemon rind, baking powder and salt; stir into butter mixture alternating with milk.

Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 325ºF oven for about 1 hour or until tester comes out clean. Place pan on rack to cool.

In a small pot, heat sugar, lemon rind and juice until sugar dissolves. With a skewer or chopstick, pierce 12 hoes in hot loaf, right to bottom; pour lemon syrup over loaf. Let cool in pan overnight. Makes 1 loaf.

Enjoy!

Kathy

Coming Up: Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Creams Perfected!

Hubby's Most Excellent Spaghetti Sauce

BIG batch!

There are some things I am happy to let my hubby do because he makes them so good I don't see any reason to compete. So, when he offered to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce the other weekend, I was happy to sit back and read my book. Since I am a control freak, I also don't go into the kitchen, otherwise I will make "suggestions." It's way better for the marriage, trust me.

I don't really know how he makes his spaghetti sauce, but it sure tastes good (and homemade). But here's the basics:

Hubby's Most Excellent Spaghetti Sauce
2 large onions, chopped
1 head of garlic, chopped
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 tbsp olive oil
4 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 14 oz cans tomato sauce
2 cans tomato paste
4 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chili pepper flakes (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
4 stalks celery, chopped
8 carrots, chopped
1 lb mushrooms, chopped

Cook the onions, garlic and ground beef in olive oil in a large pot. Add balance of ingredients, bring to boil and then simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens (at least an hour).

We had friends over the next night and I was at a class all day, so hubby just served up his delicious spaghetti. One of our friends is absolutely intolerant of any kind of heat, so this amount of chili flakes was fine (she didn't break out in a sweat like she does when I cook — sheesh!). Served with a nice salad and some garlic bread, it was a no-fuss, but so homemade good tasting!

Let's hear it for spouses and partners everywhere that like to cook!

Kathy

Mega Jam Scones

The jam doesn't usually ooze so much, but I love that it did!

I think I'm a binge blogger. I go through periods where I cook up a storm, but don't have time to write about it, so I save them up to write them all in a big binge. I'm certainly don't have that problem with food!

All this to say, a couple of weeks ago I was busy with work, which included working on a presentation to City Hall to bring a dog park to Dieppe, where I live. I had a group of people over who were going to help me on Remembrance Day in the morning, so I of course provided coffee/tea and something to eat.

I adore scones served warm with butter and raspberry jam. But they are typically very high in fat (adding butter doesn't help either) and use white flour, which I'm trying to get away from. Years ago I was looking for a recipe for scones and found this one on the internet (and have no idea where). It's called Mega Jam Scones. They are on the healthier side of scone-land because for two giant scones like in the picture, you only use 1/2 cup butter, and all whole wheat flour. So, no guilt. The lemon peel in the batter is what elevates this treat. It gives it a freshness that is addicting, plus the jam already built in keeps it moist enough that butter isn't necessary. Yummy!

I tried this recipe with whole wheat pastry flour this time and I think it made the scones more cakey rather than biscuity. I don't know that it's necessary, so whatever you have on hand.

Thinking about this makes me want to make these again!

Mega Jam Scones

This good for you recipe has a wonderful flavour. The whole wheat biscuit is alive with the refreshing taste of lemon, and is filled with jam and folded. The jam oozes out of the top seam as the big scone is baking. It’s so good you don’t even need butter – no really!

Makes 2 large scones (serves about 12)

4 cups whole-wheat flour

3 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1-1/4 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

 zest of one lemon

2/3 cup raspberry preserves

milk for brushing on top

sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking pans with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture (use your hands or two knives) until it resembles a coarse meal. Mix in the sugar. Add the milk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Mix until dough comes together. Add more milk if necessary.

Turn out onto a floured counter, divide into 2 equal pieces and set one aside. Roll the first piece into a square, roughly 9”x9”, about 1/2” thick. (Add more flour to the counter and rolling pin if necessary, to keep from sticking). Spread the dough with jam and fold the left side of the dough towards the centre, like you would a letter, then the other side. Slide onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with other piece of dough.

Brush with a bit of milk, sprinkle sugar over top and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden where the scones touch the pan.

I'm happy to report that our meeting went well, and of course everyone loved the scones. We presented to Council and hope to hear something soon. It's very neat to be in the process of making your city a better place to live. Here's to community government — the one place we really can made a difference!

Kathy

I ♥ french fries

Image from lifesambrosia.com

Have you ever eaten a "real" french fry? Really think about it. A french fry that is simply a potato left unpeeled, cut into long strips, fried in oil, then salted?

In the processed world we live in, even french fries, one of the most basic of foods, come in a bag with preservatives and coatings that make them more golden, more crisp, less breakable, and enable them to stay that way longer.

I have only had homemade fries a few times and each time they were made by my best friend's mother. They were perfect and I could see how her family of five would eat them as a meal, going through at least ten pounds at a time. I've never made them myself, mainly because I can't stand the smell left behind in my house after deep frying. That has everything to do with working in my dad's bakery as a teenager and having the smell of deep fried donuts left in my hair each Saturday night.

But last night for the first time in a long time, I rediscovered what real french fries tasted like. I went to New York Fries and ordered some to take home with me for dinner. The intoxicating smell in the car proved too difficult to resist, so I ate one or two in the darkness of my car as I drove. Maybe it was the darkness, but I could taste the earthiness of them, feel the slight resistance of the golden outer shell and the starchy goodness that gooshed between my teeth as I bit down. I suddenly understood what Women, Food and God is talking about when it says to savour your food. Those first few morsels have stayed with me in a way that the rest I ate when I got home weren't able to.

For me, the ONLY way to eat french fries is with lots of salt and lots of malt vinegar. Malt vinegar is less acidic, more, well malty tasting. It made me feel like I was in a pub in England (not that I've been there). So much so that I had to open a beer to drink with them. It was a Molson's John Molson Microfiltered beer and it was good!

http://www.squidoo.com

I definitely ♥ french fries, but those few stolen bites in a darkened car will forever more be the pedestal to which all french fries must rise to.

Props to New York Fries for cutting their own potatoes, frying them in oil and adding salt. And that's it. 


Kathy

The best soup ever: Red Lentil Soup

The finished soup. Get ready to fall in love.

It's hard to believe this is a Weight Watchers recipe, it's that good. The Moroccan-style flavour of cinnamon, cumin and coriander spices are I think what makes it so special. It makes a healthy and filling dinner meal when served with a hearty bread on the side.

I've been making this recipe for years and it's so good I would serve a smaller portion to company as an entrée into the meal.

Before puréeing, the soup looks completely different.

Rich and creamy-tasting, it's wonderful with a dollop of low-fat sour cream or Balkan-style yogurt.

Red Lentil Soup

This is an excellent and filling soup that takes very little time to make.

1 tbsp          olive oil

1-1/2 tsp     ground cumin (instead of pre-ground cumin, grind the seeds in your coffee grinder for best results)

1/2 tsp        ground coriander

1/4 tsp        ground cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp        ground cinnamon

1                  small sweet red pepper, chopped

2                  medium carrots, chopped

4 cups         chicken or vegetable broth

8 oz.            dry red lentils, washed

1/8 tsp       salt, or to taste

1/4 cup      plain fat-free yogurt

                 

In a medium pot heat oil; add cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and cinnamon, stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add red pepper and carrots. Cook until just tender, 5 minutes.

Add broth, lentils and salt. Bring to boil. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Purée in batches in blender (or if you have one of those stick blenders, you can do it right in the pot).

Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

Serves 4

Weight Watcher Points per serving: 4

Using friends as guinea pigs: Part 3 — Olive Oil Cake with Basil Whipped Cream

I have definitely changed since before I started this eating healthfully food blog (which has morphed into more of a no-processed zone rather than worrying about how much olive oil I use). I used to have far more dessert recipes than recipes for dinner, but I think I've reached the tipping point and the balance has gone the other way. I can't stop watching cooking shows and collecting online recipes!

But, I must confess, this meal did centre around dessert. I have wanted to try an olive oil cake since I first saw it on the British cooking show Come Dine With Me, which is also shown on our Canadian W Network. It's a silly show where a group of people who don't know each other host dinner parties and try to win $1500 CDN for being the best cook. Ever since I saw the British episode with a fellow who made an Olive Oil Cake, I've wanted to try it. But I'm translating the recipe to a North American kitchen proved too much effort. Does anyone know in North America actually what Gas Mark 3 means?!

But when we finally got together with our fabulous French friends Valérie and Cédric after several mutual cancellations, I knew the meal had to centre around dessert and had to be as fabulous as they were. They are amazing cooks and it was our turn to impress.

I managed to find a promising recipe from our East Coast Wonder Boy, Chef Michael Smith, who is from PEI. One look at his recipe for Olive Oil Cake and I knew it would be a showstopper! It elevates the uniqueness factor to a whole new level by using fresh rosemary in the cake and basil in the whipped cream. Perfect for friends who are foodies!

Hubby had to go out and get some fresh rosemary because my little windowsill bush had been robbed of most of it's leaves earlier in the week when I made slowcooker Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew from eatingwell.com. The stuff he came home with was like a pine tree compared to what's growing on my windowsill, and very fragrant, so I was worried, but pressed on. As I was making things ahead of time, while waiting for hubby to come home with the rosemary and basil, I used some of my own basil for the whipped cream, puréeing the basil and sugar (I used cane sugar) with an immersion blender (less mess to clean up for such a small amount). I was hopeful when it tasted vaguely licorice-ish.

When hubby finally arrived, I quickly chopped the rosemary up, adding it to the wet ingredients (featuring one whole cup of extra virgin olive oil!) and put it into the prepared pans. This recipe called for one 9" pan, but it made enough for two 8" pans. When it came out, it was vastly different looking than chef Michael's picture:

I think all the rosemary floated to the top because we couldn't see any in the cake when we ate it. I sampled a crumb when it came out of the oven. It tasted like a sweet rosemary bread. All I could say was "it will be interesting" to hubby.

Anyway, although we were all seriously stuffed from eating bruschetta (Valérie made it and it was yummy!) Roasted Sweet Potato and Spinach Salad, and Shrimp Risotto, we gamely tried it.

OH MY GOODNESS this is good! If I didn't know it had rosemary, I would have said it was cardamom. Even the basil whipped cream tasted refreshing and a perfect accompaniment the cake. It had a crumbly texture (likely from the cornmeal), not light and fluffy like Chef Smith's cake in the photo above. And I think I liked it all the more because of it. It had a vague olive oil taste, but it was so good, everyone enjoyed it. (Still-full daughter Juliette opted for my homemade chocolate ice cream while watching a movie downstairs.)

A splendid end to a splendid meal! Our fab friends volunteered for guinea pig service any time!


Michael Smith's Olive Oil Cake
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
2 cups flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Basil Whipped Cream
1 bunch fresh basil
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup 35% whipping cream

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9-inch round cake pan by oiling it with olive oil and dusting it with flour, knocking out any excess. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, olive oil, vanilla and rosemary.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and soda and salt. Stir the dry into the wet ingredients, just until combined then pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool and serve with basil whipped cream or another favourite cake topping.

Basil Whipped Cream
Puree the fresh basil and sugar together in a food processor until smooth. Scrape into a large bowl and add the whipping cream. Whip until it forms soft peaks. Serve immediately.



Yours in kitchen godessness!

Kathy

Part 1: Roasted Sweet Potato and Spinach Salad
Part 2: Shrimp Risotto

Using friends as guinea pigs: Part 1 — Roasted Sweet Potato Spinach Salad

Even though I reminded myself to take pictures and even took out the camera, I still forgot when it came down to serving time. This photo is from the Simple, Fresh, Delicious website.

Since moving to the East Coast of Canada last year, hubby and I have made a really good friendship with a couple who are originally from France. Not Paris, like most people immediately assume, but the western and northern parts. I don't believe there is a French person alive who doesn't eat well, so where you come from doesn't matter to us North Americans. We had the discussion about how people immediately assume that if you are from France you know everything about wines and are dedicated foodies. I would have to say the latter part is true of our friends. Cédric told us his grandmother used to make endive and wild potato salad and he talked about it as though it were like my mom making tuna casserole with a crushed potato chip topping. They don't mind experimenting and know good food. That's why I decided to use my friends as guinea pigs and try dishes I hadn't made before.

Sometimes experimentation pays off.

We started off with Roasted Sweet Potato and Spinach Salad, a recipe I saw made on Lovoni Walker's cooking show Simple, Fresh, Delicious. She is part of our Canadian Viva television network. All of the recipes from her shows are online, complete with video showing how she prepared it.

I followed this recipe closely, but hubby doesn't care for dried cherries, so I substituted cranberries, which tasted very good. I liked this salad, but found the sweet potatoes a bit overwhelming. Maybe I used too much because I didn't actually weigh the sweet potatoes, just used two as I'd remembered Lovoni doing on her show. I ate them all because I love roasted sweet potatoes, but next time I'd use equal parts vinegar and olive oil (3 tbsp of each) and 40 minutes of cooking time rather than 50 outlined in the recipe if you're cutting them into smaller pieces. Valérie and Cédric's daughter Juliette, who is maybe 8, liked the salad, but not the sweet potatoes as much. Which goes to show that even French kids have experimental palates.

Walker calls sweet potatoes yams, but they're not the same, so I've removed the reference. Yams are the ones I think come from Africa.


Roasted Sweet Potato and Spinach Salad

1 lb (500g) sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup dried cherries

Basil Maple Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil (in other recipes I've used and liked, the ratio is 1:1, so consider 3 tablespoons olive oil)
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 garlic clove
salt and freshly ground pepper

To make the basil maple dressing, place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Toss sweet potato, oil, salt and pepper on prepared baking sheet. Roast for about 50 minutes or until tender and golden; cool slightly.

Toss sweet potatoes with dressing and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.


Next: Shrimp Risotto to die for!

Happy eating!

Kathy

Using friends as guinea pigs: Part 2 — Shrimp Risotto

These are leftovers, but still very tasty!

I have made risotto before, it's one of my favourites. Most of my risottos are meatless. The yummy creaminess of the rice mixed with fresh seasonings and vegetables like asparagus are all I need. This time, however, I wanted to try something I hadn't made before. I wanted to use shrimp. And because of my French friends, the dish had to be bumpfed up a bit. Even though this isn't a competition, we colonials still have to prove that just because we didn't grow up on endive salad and wild potatoes, we can still cook! (Actually though, I did. My mom, who was from a solid German background, regularly made a wilted endive salad with fried potatoes, green onions, bacon and a vinaigrette dressing. We loved it because it had bacon and potatoes, we tolerated the endive [which was probably kale because it didn't look anything like what I know of endive as an adult],)
Anyway, I was looking for a risotto with white wine and shrimp and I found this recipe for Shrimp Risotto at epicurious.com, and it hit all the right notes — including a high C for garlic!

When I told my mother-in-law I was going to make risotto she was surprised because she thought it was hard to make. It isn't, but you do have to babysit it. I happen to think the results of risotto are worth every bit of effort. Because this was a fully experimental meal, and I had to send hubby out for basil and fresh rosemary that I would need in all three dishes, while I waited I chopped, diced, toasted and prepared as much of each dish as I could. My countertop looked like a cooking set with all the little dishes. I felt like Lavoni Walker from Simple, Fresh, Delicious — without all the prep staff!

I made this dish to the recipe, except I used a LOT more garlic (about 8 large cloves, so more like 1/3 of a up of the stinky stuff) and a LOT more shrimp (two packages, probably two pounds before hubby peeled them). I resisted adding more white wine. It was hard, but I managed. And since I made hubby go all the way to the grocery store on a Saturday afternoon, I used basil in the end, rather than flat-leafed parsley. What goes better with garlic and shrimp than basil after all?

When making risotto, the trick is to cook down the liquid, adding it in small amounts making sure all of it is absorbed between  additions. This allows the starches in the rice to break down and is what gives risotto its creaminess. This recipe does have a fair amount of butter, but for special occasions, it is so worth it. This was not a meal to skimp on ingredients. This was a meal meant to impress!

I have to say this risotto is amazing, and I wouldn't change a thing from how I made it, and I will make it again. This is a great dish to make while you're chatting with a friend, drinking a glass of wine. You may have to break off now and again to read the recipe, but for a something that takes about 20 to 30 minutes at the stove (prep is probably another 20 minutes) the company is welcome. It gave us a chance to catch up and the men a chance to talk about what men talk about.

The recipe says it makes 2 servings, but with a salad starter, this recipe served all four of us adults (Cédric and Valérie's daughter Juliette was full from salad and bruschetta by this course) and there is still enough left for a full meal. We were, after all, saving room for dessert!

Shrimp Risotto

Bon Appétit | February 1998 

Makes 2 servings

A fruity, spicy Sauvignon Blanc would be perfect with this elegant dish. (We ate it with a lovely French Riesling from the Alsace region.)
5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic (I used a total of 8 large finely chopped cloves)
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined (I used two pkgs of about 24 shrimps each)
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups arborio rice* or medium-grain white rice
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (I used fresh basil)

Bring broth and 1/4 cup wine to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat; keep hot.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon garlic and crushed red pepper, then shrimp. Sauté until shrimp begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup wine. Simmer until shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Drain shrimp, reserving cooking liquid.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and remaining 1 teaspoon garlic; sauté until onion is pale golden, about 4 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups broth mixture. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue adding broth mixture 1 cup at a time, stirring often and simmering until liquid is absorbed before adding more, about 20 minutes. Stir in reserved shrimp cooking liquid. Cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Stir shrimp and 2 tablespoons parsley into risotto. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowls. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons parsley.

*Arborio is an Italian short-grain rice, is available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.

Part 1— Roasted Sweet Potato and Spinach Salad
Coming Up: Part 3 — Olive Oil Cake with Basil Whipped Cream!

Here's to good company and good friends!

Kathy

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew: The guests that never stayed

What to do when you are busy, but are potentially having your in-laws (including a sister- and brother-in-law) for dinner and it's a weekday? Bring out the crock pot!

This recipe from eatingwell.com for Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew is really more brothy meat and potatoes than stew. If you like it thick, you could add a bit of cornstarch or flour mixture in the last hour. It's super easy to make and quite tasty if you add enough garlic and spices. However, I'm not sure if it was because the sweet potatoes just weren't sweet enough, or that sweet potatoes are not great in the slow cooker, but they were quite bland. I'm thinking it's the former, not the latter. Other than adding extra garlic and using chicken breasts as well (I'm not a dark chicken meat lover) and I forgetting to add the vinegar at the end, I stuck pretty close to the recipe. Oh yes, I also added a teaspoon of Herbes de Provence. I guess I changed it somewhat didn't I?

Unfortunately, my guests didn't stay. It's moose on the road season in New Brunswick, and with the recent death on the highway from a young couple hitting one, they didn't want to risk it. But they were all salivating when they left because it sure smelled good! Apart from the bland sweet potatoes, I thought it was good — and the leftovers will be even better!

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chicken_sweet_potato_stew.html
From EatingWell: February/March 2006

6 servings | Active Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes

6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed of fat (I used 4 thighs and two small breasts)
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into spears
1/2 pound white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 large shallots, peeled and halved
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tsp herbes de provence (my addition)
1-1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar (I didn't end up adding this)

Place chicken, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine, rosemary, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker; stir to combine. Put the lid on and cook on low until the potatoes are tender, about 5 hours. Before serving, remove bones from the chicken, if desired, and stir in vinegar.

Nutrition:
Per serving : 285 Calories; 6 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 50 mg Cholesterol; 35 g Carbohydrates; 17 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 519 mg Sodium; 866 mg Potassium
2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 lean meat

Healthfully yours,

Kathy

Kath cooked Cat Can Cook's Awesome Banana Muffins!

Most every Saturday we go out for breakfast and I generally have an omelette, or some other form of eggs. Sunday breakfast is usually catch-as-catch-can, or hubby cooks, but on occasion I have a craving for something sweet for breakfast — especially when there are 4 overripe bananas that are begging to be made into muffins.

Since hubby is a diabetic, sweet muffins are not an optimal breakfast for him, so I decided to use Cat Can Cook's Awesome Banana Muffins recipe, but change it up a bit, so that it was made with more fibre and some protein. I essentially followed the recipe, but used 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and added 1/2 cup ground flax seed into the batter. I filled the prepared tins up to the half-way point and then added a teaspoon of peanut butter and a teaspoon of raspberry jam to each muffin, before topping with more batter.

These muffins were extremely tasty, and I'm sure they'd be so, even plain, but definitely add the walnuts for a superfood kick of added protein and good for you nutrition.

I don't think I'd bother with the jam next time — more sugar for a muffin that didn't need the extra taste. These muffins are low in fat and I bet you could make them without any fat at all because they are very moist with 4 bananas to a dozen muffins. Next time I'd also use almond butter because peanut butter (even the natural kind) gives me wicked heartburn. After breakfast I wrapped the muffins individually in waxed paper and then froze them in a zipper bag. My dog stuck close by me the next few times I ate them because I dug out the peanut butter for her to eat. She was very happy!

Banana Muffins 

Makes 12 muffins

4 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 slightly beaten egg
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup walnuts

Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg and margarine together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together! Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake in 350 degrees F oven for approximately 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Enjoy these muffins, because Cat (definitely) Can Cook!

Kathy