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Mushroom, tomato and ham frittata

This fluffy frittata is speckled with mushrooms, tomatoes and ham. Egg are an important source of protein for kids. High in vitamin C and lycopene (anti-oxidant), tomatoes also add a vibrant colour.

Recipe serves 3-4
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 cherry tomatoes, diced
6 button mushrooms, diced
1 slice smoked ham, diced
2 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
Garnishing: chives

Method
1. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. 
2. Add cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, ham, cheese and season with salt and pepper. 
3. Heat butter in a small pan (use one that is oven-proof). Pour the egg mixture into the pan, and cook over medium heat until the sides are slightly firm. 
4. Use a fork to draw the egg from the sides to the centre so that large curds form. 
5. Lower heat and continue cooking for another 3–4 minutes. 
6. Transfer pan to a pre-heated oven at 180ْ C and cook for another 5 minutes or until the top is golden brown. 
7. Slice the frittata into squares or use a cutter to cut it into fancy shapes. 
8. Garnish with chives and serve.

Source: http://www.hungrygowhere.com/dining-guide/recipes/mushroom-tomato-and-ham-frittata-*aid-4a5f3101/

Meals for the Family: Soups

SLOW COOKER RECIPES
Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
1 pound dried black beans
4 cups organic vegetable broth
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup water
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 bay leaves
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preparation
1. Sort and wash beans; place in a large bowl. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain.
2. Combine beans, broth, and next 5 ingredients (through chile) in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 10 hours. Discard bay leaves. Stir in juice and salt. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each with 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro. Top each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.


Potato Soup
Ingredients
3 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
1/2 cup water
2 (14.5-ounce) cans fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
4 ounces shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 cup), divided
1/2 cup light sour cream
4 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Preparation
1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Add onion to drippings in pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender.
2. Place potato slices and onion in a 5-quart electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Combine 1/2 cup water and next 3 ingredients (through pepper); stir into mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until potatoes are tender.
3. Mash mixture with a potato masher; stir in milk and 3/4 cup cheese. Increase heat to HIGH. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with sour cream and remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Sprinkle with bacon and chives.


OTHER RECIPES
Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash. Discard skins.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Sprinkle each serving with cheese, onions, and bacon.


Fresh Tomato Soup
Ingredients
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 pounds plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Place half of tomato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining tomato mixture. Stir in salt and pepper. Ladle 3/4 cup soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon yoghurt and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil.


Brunswick Stew
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby lima beans, thawed
6 (1-ounce) slices Italian bread, toasted
2 garlic cloves, halved

Preparation
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add bell pepper, onion, and celery to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oil to pan. Combine flour and chicken in a medium bowl, tossing to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through lima beans) to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
Rub bread slices with cut sides of garlic; discard garlic. Serve bread with stew.


Rosemary Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups water
4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 (10-ounce) package preshredded carrot
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups hot cooked whole-wheat blend wide egg noodles (about 3 1/2 cups uncooked)
Preparation

Combine noodles, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well to coat.
Combine water and next 6 ingredients (through chicken breast) in a large Dutch oven; add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; cool slightly. Shred chicken with 2 forks.
Add carrot and mushrooms to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until carrot is tender. Add shredded chicken, parsley, spinach, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in noodle mixture, lemon juice, and pepper. Cook 1 minute.


Chilled Corn Bisque with Basil, Avocado, and Crab
Ingredients
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 8 ears)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
8 ounces lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup chopped peeled avocado
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation
Combine broth and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in broth mixture, corn, salt, and pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently (do not boil). Place half of corn mixture in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour pureed corn mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining corn mixture. Strain corn mixture through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Stir in milk and half-and-half; chill thoroughly. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature; stir well.
Ladle 2/3 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 3 tablespoons crab, about 2 teaspoons avocado, and about 1 teaspoon basil.


Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
1 small head broccoli, about 500g, including stems, chopped (separate the florets and stems)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium potato, grated or diced
3 cups of chicken stock or water
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and white pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Heat oil on a medium pot. Gently sauté onion until translucent or softened. Add in the chopped stems and continue sautéing for 5-6 minutes.
2. Add in the stock or water and bring to a boil before reducing the heat and add in the potato.
3. Leave to simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are softened.
4. Allow the soup to cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Return soup to the pot and over low heat, add in the florets. I only add the florets in the end so that it remains slightly crunchy which gives the soup a nice texture. Heat gently and season.
5. Serve with generous servings of grated Parmesan.

Minestrone Soup with Salmon

Minestrone is a hearty and thick Italian-style soup containing vegetable and pasta. This recipe includes salmon which is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Carrots (loaded with Vitamin A) and zucchini (rich in antioxidants and potassium) add a lovely crunch.

Recipe serves 3-4
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
200g salmon, sliced
1 cup cooked pasta
1 sprig thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley or thyme for garnishing

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and brown onion and garlic for 2 minutes.
2. Add carrot and zucchini, saute for about 2 minutes.
3. Add corn, tomatoes, chicken stock, and simmer for 5 more minutes.
4. Add salmon slices and continue simmering for another 5 minutes or until cooked. Add pasta and mix well.
5. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.
6. Remove from heat, garnish with parsley or thyme and serve. 

Source: http://www.hungrygowhere.com/dining-guide/recipes/recipe-minestrone-soup-with-salmon-*aid-ade10000/


Soup a l'oignon (Onion soup)

Photo: Flickr | Connie Ma

The mark of a good French restaurant, is a good French onion soup. Here's a tried and tested recipe that will bring joy and comfort. 

Recipe serves 6Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:1kg onions, sliced
150g unsalted butter
60g flour
250ml dry white wine
1.5 litres water
A bunch of bouquet garni (bundle of herbs)
[Optional] 50g glace de viande (meat glaze)
A pinch of salt and white pepper
½ piece French baguette, sliced
100g butter, clarified
[Optional] 120ml heavy cream
[Optional] 30ml Port wine
100g gruyere cheese, grated

Methods: 1. Preheat oven to 205 degrees Celsius
2. Peel the onions, remove the roots, and slice thinly. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onions until soft and lightly coloured.
3. Add the flour and cook until it starts to take on some colour (1 to 2 minutes).
4. Deglaze with white wine and allow the liquid to reduce by half before adding the water, add the bouquet garni, season to taste, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 45 minutes. (Optional: add some glace de viande for more colour)
5. Slice the baguette and lightly toast it in the oven, then lightly butter the top side of each slice and sprinkle with cheese. Place the bread back in the oven until the cheese is just melted but not coloured.
6. Set aside.
7. Remove the bouquet garni from the soup and discard.
8. Optional: Whisk the port wine into the cream and ladle some hot soup into the cream to temper. Off the heat, stir the cream back into the hot soup.

To serve:
1. Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls. Top with croutons to completely cover. Sprinkle with more cheese. Arrange the bowls on a baking sheet. Place the tray under a broiler or salamander until the cheese is browned.
2. Serve immediately.

Source: http://www.hungrygowhere.com/dining-guide/recipes/soupe-a-l-oignon-*aid-6e4b3101/

Meals for the Family: Almond Brioche Bostock

First a slice of rich bread is coated with orange flavored syrup.   You can make Bostock with any leftover bread but it tastes best when made with brioche or a buttery loaf of sandwich bread.  Here we used a Swedish cinnamon swirl bread made by a local baker. (The bread can be a little stale and perhaps is better that way.)

In some bakeries, they will next add some apricot or raspberry preserves to make the bread more flavorful and moist. Use you own judgement here though because your pasty can end up rather sweet. (We’d omit this step if the bread we are using is on the sweet side to begin with.)

Then it is slathered with a layer of almond cream.  Push the filling with a small off set spatula to make an even layer.

The whole thing is covered lightly with sliced almonds and baked.

That little tea strainer is a pastry chef’s best friend.  We learned the trick of using it to dust powdered sugar on to pastries from the very talented Chef Eddy Vandamme.

You can eat Bostock fresh from the oven. Or make a batch then slide each slice into individual sandwich bags.  Freeze them. Reheat each slice as needed in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes before serving.

Source: http://www.americanalmond.com/blog/bostock-almond-cream-french-toast/

almond brioche bostock

sometimes the payoff for a recipe truly is worth all the trouble.

there i was, saturday morning, 8 am, ready for a full day of baking. it’s been harder and harder to bake during the week, so i’ve taken to making 4 or 5 things on saturday and sunday to keep up. i had gone grocery shopping the night before so i wouldn’t have to run back out into the freezing cold for supplies and had even prepared the brioche dough the night before so it would be ready to work with in the morning. with a fresh cup of instant coffee (i know, i know, instant, ew) in hand, i set to work on the almond cream. and that’s when things went south.

almond paste can be really tough to work with – one second it’s rock solid, the next second it’s oily and crumbling apart in your hands. so after putting all the ingredients in a mixer, i ended up with a beautiful almond cream, full of small shards of rock-solid almond paste that just wouldn’t break up. i tossed that batch to gave it another shot, but had the bright idea of microwaving the almond paste for 30 seconds so it would break apart more easily. the result? burned funky smelling almond paste. i thought maybe i could salvage it, so i added the other ingredients, but adding cold ingredients to warm almond paste just made the almond paste’s resolve stronger. it became a burned mass of almond rock at the bottom of the mixer. failure.

at that point i had run out of almond paste and the thought of going out into the cold for an $8 tube of the stuff made me want to scratch the whole thing. but i bundled up, got to safeway, and after 20 minutes of searching (why do they keep rearranging the aisles?) found the almond paste, got back home and proceeded to make a wonderfully smooth delicious cream that worked perfectly. good thing too, i was ready to toss my mixer out the window.

then i realized i didn’t have enough flour to make all the other things i wanted to make that day and had to go back to the store AGAIN. but that’s another story.

the brioche was completely amazing and tasted better than i could have imagined. the combination of almond and orange gives it incredibly bright flavors and the bread itself is rich enough that it could be dessert. the instructions said to invert the brioche onto a plate after it came out of the oven but didn’t specify whether it should be served that way. in retrospect, it should have been pretty obvious to just flip it again onto another plate so the topping was, you know, on top, but the golden caramelized sugar coated bottom made me think twice.

one more thing: this is my 50th post! i know that’s hardly a milestone compared to the work so many other bloggers have accomplished, but as i began writing this post, i kept thinking about why i started pete bakes in the first place. when i launched the blog in april, it was a sort of test for myself to see if i could keep baking and writing on a regular basis. i wanted the experience to push me to try new techniques and recipes and still have it be fun. i never expected to get comments or responses aside from the friends and family who followed it.

i also could not have expected the level of talent, creativity and generosity of the food blogging community. if you’re reading this, you are the reason this blog exists – because what would all of these experiences mean without someone to share them with?

so if you’ve ever left a comment, or written an email (i try to respond to all!) or just tried a recipe, THANK YOU!it humbles me to find out that after being inspired by all of you who cook and bake and share it with the world that i could have some small impact as well. THANKS!

almond brioche bostockfrom Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.

brioche
3/4 cup lukewarm water
3/4 Tbsp yeast
3/4 Tbsp salt
4 eggs
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
3 3/4 cups flour

almond cream1/2 cup almond paste
4 Tbsp butter (at room temperature)
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/4 tsp almond extract

topping
1/4 cup sugar
zest from half an orange
1/2 cup sliced almonds

1. make the brioche: mix the salt, yeast, eggs, honey and melted butter with the water in a large bowl. mix in the flour without kneading. the dough will be loose but will firm up when chilled. cover the dough and allow to rest a room temperature for 2 hours. cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge before trying to work with it.

2. make the almond cream: cream together the butter, almond paste, flour, egg and almond extract in a food processor (or by hand if you are brave) until smooth and set aside.

3. dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1 1/2 lbs (about the size of a cantaloupe). dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape into a ball. roll the dough out into a long rectangle (about 1/4 inch thick), using enough flour to prevent it from sticking to the counter. spread the almond cream evenly over the rectangle and roll the dough up like a jelly roll, starting at the long end. chill the log in the freezer for about 15 minutes. meanwhile,  grease an 8 inch round cake pan with butter and sprinkle liberally with sugar.

4. cut the chilled dough into 8 equal pieces. place them evenly in the cake pan so the swirled edge is facing upward. allow the dough to rest in the pan for an hour. twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350 F. just before baking, combine the sugar, orange zest and almonds and sprinkle over the brioche. bake for about 40 minutes or until golden and well set in the center.

6. when you remove the brioche from the oven the run a knife around the inside of the pan to release the bread from the sides and invert it onto a large plate (it could stick to the pan otherwise). eat while warm.

Source: http://www.peterandrewryan.com/baking/2008/12/almond-brioche-bostock/

Meals for the Family: Gingerbread

Gingerbread Loaf
Makes: 1 loaf

Ingredients
175g unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
3 tablespoons golden syrup
250ml milk
250g plain flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Preparation
Prep: 8min  ›  Cook: 1hr  ›  Ready in: 1hr8min

Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease and flour an 20x10cm loaf tin.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, golden syrup and milk. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat and set aside. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and allspice into a large bowl. Stir in the boiled mixture until just blended. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
Turn down the oven to 160 C / Gas 2 1/2 and bake for 1 hour or until the top of the loaf springs back when lightly touched.

Gingerbread Loaf II
Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1-1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation
Prep: 10 min. Bake: 1 hour + cooling

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, syrup and oil. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be thin). Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans.
Bake at 325° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Meals for the Family: Nuts about Coconuts

Source:

http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/

Grain Free Chocolate Cherry Blondies

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 10

• 5 tablespoons grass-fed butter or coconut oil, softened

• 1/2 – 3/4 cup sugar

• 1 pastured egg

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 cups almond flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

• 1/2 – 3/4 cup cherries (cut into fourths)**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the softened butter/oil and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream with a hand mixer or in a stand up mixer until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to blend.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, soda and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture as you continue to beat until well combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips and lastly, fold in the cherries.

Bake for about 25 minutes until slightly brown.

Let cool for 30 minutes before cutting into them (I prefer these out of the refrigerator cold).

**It is almost impossible to find fresh cherries this time of year, so frozen is what you will use. They tend to be very dark in color and that is why this looks like a blueberry blondie. It is best to keep them frozen until you have added the chocolate chips so they do not melt and bleed into the dough.

Strawberry Cream Pie - Gluten Free and Dairy Free

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Crust:
3/4 cup crushed pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut

Filling:
2 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw honey
1 pinch salt

1 cup coconut oil, melted

Grind crust ingredients in food processor and press into bottom of a 9 inch pie plate, building up the sides slightly.

Place all filling ingredients into blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Carefully pour on top of crust and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Strawberry Coconut Parfait

2 servings

Strawberry syrup:
1 cup fresh strawberries
1/4 cup honey

Cream:
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water, as needed

Garnish:
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup toasted coconut

Blend syrup ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Wash blender pitcher.

Place all cream ingredients except water into blender. Add water as needed, blending until a smooth pudding texture is reached.

To assemble:

Spoon cream into 2 parfait glasses. Top with sliced strawberries and toasted coconut. Dizzle strawberry syrup over the top.

Banana Coconut Cake
Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup whole cane sugar

• ½ cup virgin coconut oil

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup buttermilk

• 1 cup, about 3 bananas, chopped or mashed

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

• 1/2 cup shredded or flaked coconut

• additional oil for greasing

Preheat oven to 325.

Cream sugar, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla with mixer until fluffy. Sir in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk and bananas. Stir in nuts and coconut. Pour into 13x9 pan or two 9 inch cake pans that have been greased with coconut oil and floured.

Bake approximately 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack(s).

Fill and frost top of cake with icing below.

Icing:

Mix sugar, butter, cream, and egg yolks in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat stirring until thickened, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Beat until spreading consistency. This icing is also good on chocolate cake.

Whole Wheat Coconut Oil Banana Bread

Servings: One loaf

• 1 cup sugar (or to taste)

• 1/3 cup virgin coconut oil

• 2 eggs

• 2 cups mashed bananas (5-6 medium)

• 1/3 cup water

• 1 2/3 cups soft whole wheat flour

• 1 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts or pecans)

• 1 cup shredded coconut

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottoms only of one loaf pan (or other baking dish) with extra coconut oil and set aside.

Mix sugar and coconut oil until blended. Add in the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each one. Add the bananas and water; then after that is blended, add in the rest of the ingredients except nuts and coconut just until moistened. Stir in nuts and coconut, then pour into the loaf pan.

Bake until toothpick or a knife inserted in the middle of loaf comes out clean, about one hour. Let it cool for about five minutes; remove from pans to wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Whole Wheat Coconut Banana Bread

• 1/3 cup Expeller-Pressed or Virgin Coconut Oil - liquefied

• 1/2 cup raw honey

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup mashed bananas

• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon aluminum free baking soda

• 1/4 cup hot filtered water

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• 1/2 cup shredded or flaked coconut

• cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In large bowl, beat coconut oil and honey together. Add eggs, mix well. Stir in bananas then stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter. Blend in nuts and coconut. Spread batter in coconut greased glass 9" x 5" loaf pan. Sprinkle organic cinnamon on the top.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for half an hour before taking out and slicing.

Whole Wheat Bread

Servings: Makes 2 loaves

• 2 3/4 cups warm water*

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey

• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast

• 1/3 cup coconut oil

• 4 teaspoons lemon juice

• 4 teaspoons salt

• 1 cup oat bran

• 2 cups whole wheat flour

• 4+ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• Butter, as needed

Preparation Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Mix water and 2 tablespoons honey together in glass bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the water, then let proof for 10 minutes. Add the rest in order given and mix well. Add more flour as needed, perhaps up to four cups, until dough is no longer sticky.

Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.* Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough and divide it in half. Let rest 10 minutes.

Shape into loaves and place in greased pans. Let rise until nearly double, about 1 hour. 20 minutes before done rising a second time, set oven to 350 degrees. When it's done rising and oven is at the right temperature, bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped. Brush the tops of the loaves with butter.

*Usually, I test the water by sticking my finger in it, and if I can just barely leave my finger in the water for 5 seconds, then I know it's the right temperature

*The dough is elastic "if you lightly poke your finger in the dough, it pretty much springs back."

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Servings: 1 loaf

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1 cup pumpkin

• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 3/4 cup organic unbleached all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan with extra coconut oil

In a medium sized bowl, oil, sugars and egg. Whisk until smooth. Add milk to blend. Whisk in pumpkin and spices.

In another bowl combine remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Add to pumpkin mixture and whisk just until blended, but still on the lumpy side.

Pour batter into pan and bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Bread

Servings: 2 large loaves

• 3 1/2 cups flour (I used 2 cups white flour and 1 1/2 cups of stone-ground whole wheat)

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt

• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 cups sugar Heavenly Sugar or whole sugar

• 4 eggs

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bread pans with extra coconut oil and flour.

Whisk all the dry ingredients together (the first six). Add remaining ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not over-mix. Top loaves with crushed walnuts if desired.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until bread tests done.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

Servings: 6-8

• 1 cup Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil (measured as liquid)

• 2/3 cup water

• 2 cups cooked (mashed) pumpkin

• 1 cup almond flour*

• 1/4 cup coconut flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 teaspoon high-quality cinnamon

• 4 large pastured eggs

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

• 10-15 drops vanilla stevia

• 1/8 cup pumpkin seeds

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1. In a medium bowl, mix the almond and coconut flours together, along with the baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Set the dry mixture aside.

2. In a mixer bowl, cream the eggs and the coconut oil together until smooth, then add the pumpkin, maple syrup, and stevia. Mix the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined.

3. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

4. Oil a small loaf pan with coconut oil and then our batter into pan.

5. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top.

6. Bake at 350 for 35-50 minutes. Check the loaf with a toothpick at 30 minutes. If it doesn't come out clean, continue baking.

7. Remove from oven and let cool for about an hour before removing from the pan.

8. Let the loaf cool completely before cutting. Use a lightly serrated knife to cut. Serve with lots of real butter!

*You can grind your own almond flour by placing whole almonds in a blender/food processor and blending until a meal consistency is reached.