Vegetables for Dessert! Butternut Squash-Peach Crumble & Cauliflower Whip Cream

I was standing in the supermarket produce aisle when it hit me. BAM! You should add butternut squash with peaches and your kids will eat it and be happy. After the birth of my son, I sort of fell off on the baking arena, and now that he’s two I’m back in action. I figured to start off with something that didn’t require a lot of work and thought of a cobbler or crumble. If you don’t know the difference between a crumble, cobbler, brown betty or buckle here is a useful link from the Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/18/crumble-cobbler_n_3455487.html

Any ways, I sort of just remixed a couple of recipes I found on line and I don’t even have exact measurements because my kids are always trying to help, but they are too young to help write recipes.  Here it goes.

 

First, I boiled butternut squash to soften them up, and then I blended them in the Vitamix. I also drained two bags of frozen peaches.

    

 

I mixed the blended squash with the peaches, and added brown sugar, vanilla extract, and spices. I put the mixed on the stove in coconut oil to brown.

  

While the butternut squash and peaches are browning on the stove, go ahead and make the crumble part. I used ingredients for different recipes and came up with : 1/2 oats, 1/2 flour, 1/2 bread crumbs, 1/2 sugar (brown or white)  and one stick of cold butter. Cold butter is what helps make the dry ingredients crumble. I added 1/2 teaspoon of all spice and added everything into the Vitamix. I’m not sure how others get things to crumble put the blender works for me.

   

It is a good idea to cut the butter in squares or triangles or whatever you like. Once you are done the crumble should look a bit like this. I don’t have magazine ready photos. These are cellphone shots taken with two toddlers running around. I added more oats to my mix after I took the photo.

  

I chopped up some pecans and added them to the  veggie/fruit, scooped the mix in the dish, added a squeeze of lemon juice, and my lovely 5 year old added the crumble. She also patted it down nice and firm which I hadn’t realized until she shouted, “Mommy look!”. At some point you should preheat your oven to 350 degrees and watch it all bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.

But, wait! There’s more. I also took it a step further and added cauliflower, yes cauliflower into the whip cream. I just boiled the veggies, tossed them into the Vitamix with a two tablespoons of almond milk (any milk will do), vanilla extract, and a pinch of cinnamon. I added only two scoops (using a soup spoon) of whip cream to the cauliflower mix, and that’s it! Veggies for dessert Clever Kitcheness Style.

    

You can allow for it to cool a bit, but I like to eat mine a warm. Serve it to your family and be happy. Ps- my hubby just tried some as I was putting this post together and he couldn’t tell either. High Five!

  

Princess Pancakes

My toddler has unfortunately fallen victim to all things princess, including special breakfast request. Strawberries are red and then change to pink. At least that’s what I told her because it was believable. Strawberry milk is pink and not red.

I’m all about putting princesses to work. I explain how many royal characters are technically unemployed and lack any real skills. So, she is a working princess who can one day choose a career in culinary arts.

From her fantastic smile, you can see how happy she is with her internship. Now she gets to learn stuff that those other princesses don’t like measuring, mixing and motor skills. No really. She counts out the number of scoops, chooses the correct spoon, and follow sequential steps.

Clearly there are steps made just for Queens. So what I do is cut the berries. I wait for the pancakes to cook just a little then TURN OFF the burner and let her add the slices. My toddler has been cooking with me for over a year now and she’s great in the kitchen. Even with cracking eggs. You know your kid. Guide them and they’ll learn.

My photography is rather crappy but it’s just easier to blog from my phone then the computer. The berries didn’t stick to the pan and they weren’t too mushy. I had one very pleased princess who ate happily ever after.

Quinoa & Sweet Potato Muffins

This was my first attempt at baking with quinoa. I’ve added it to oatmeal and stews, but I wanted to try something different. I read through recipes on Yummly and narrowed it down to a recipe posted by Princess in the Kitchen. I was attracted more by the sweet potato and nutty topping than the quinoa, but hey I tried it.

I made a few modifications, and overall was pleased with the results. First, I baked my sweet potato. I make most of my infant’s food, and baby and mommy prefer the taste of baked over boiled. While the sweet potato bakes, prepare the quinoa according to the package.

I didn’t read the directions correctly, for my children are always in need of something. So I ended up dumping all the sugar, whisked eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract and milk to the sweet potato. Now, I used 3 types of sugars, but you can use whatever you like. I just love more complex flavors. Coconut palm sugar has a distinct taste that I enjoy. I got out my hand mixer and blended those ingredients together.

Next, I added the dry ingredients together. I always double the spices. If a recipe says 1/2 tsp I’ll use 1 tsp. Calories in spices are not going to pack on pounds, so I’m typically generous. I would normally shift the dry ingredients because things rise better. So shift. I didn’t because I need a new one.

Almost done! Now I added the sweet potato mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix by hand as to not over work the flour or eggs. You can also use egg replacer. I had some; however, it was easier to reach the eggs in the fridge then the box way up over the sink. I’m short.

Add the quinoa in batches. I scooped the cooked grain out two tablespoons at a time and mixed again by hand. I added the almond oil. I greased my muffin pan and added a little flour so they wouldn’t stick. My pan is old.

I could have stayed on the healthy path and used coconut oil for the topping, but I didn’t. Why? It didn’t work as well as butter the last time I made a crumble and I had no tolerance for disappointment. I softened my butter by sitting it on top of the stove. It’s a better softness that clumps the sugar together better.

I tossed all the nuts, butter, sugar and spices together in my food processor. Spooned batter in the prepared pan and topped it with the nuts. Again, I used 3 different nuts like I did sugar. Pistachios and pecans together are yummy! And, I needed to use the last of my lonely almonds. Into the preheated oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Let them cool before taking them out the pan.

INGREDIENTS

Wheat Berry Salad

I was at Whole Foods and decided to check out the salad bar when I came across something I hadn’t seen before. There were these appetizing brown seed looking pearls mixed in with different vegetables and fruits. I scooped up some and loved it. Silky me didn’t read the name of the dish, so I had to go back. That’s when I read wheat berry. Never heard of it. Before I bought any I went home and read a few recipes.

The first thing I learned was that they need to soak over night in a lot of water. For every 1 cup of wheat berry add 3 cups of water. Second, after it soaks it should boil then simmer for about 45 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. I tasted the wheat berry before boiling them and thought they tasted fine. Not certain if eating them raw is ok. I did and I live to write about.

While the wheat berry simmered, I took the time to cut and dice the rest of the ingredients. I decide to add food based on color, texture and contrast. Although I love Granny Smith apples, I selected Gala instead for its charming red color. I knew I wanted cilantro and scallions and the that would have been too much green. For texture I added some soft chewy raisins, crunchy carrots and cashews.

Eating rainbows taste fabulous. And to add to such fabulousness, I used almond oil and lime juice. There is no need to add any spice or seasoning. The freshness of the ingredients is all that you need.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup of wheat berry
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup diced apple
1 cup scallions
1 cup fresh currents
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped cashews
2 tbsp almond oil
1/2 lime

DIRECTIONS
1. Soak 1 cup of wheat berry in 3 cups of water over night. After soaking, bring water to a boil and simmer the wheat berry for 45 minutes. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.

2. Chop the carrots, apple, scallions, cilantro and cashews. Add chopped Ingredients to the wheat berry. Next, add the raisins and currents.

3. Add the juice of the lime and almond oil. Mix everything well. Serve chilled.

Amaranth Vegetable Casserole

The goal is to add different types of whole grains to my family’s diet. I looked up whole grains and discovered amaranth. I’ve seen it in the store, but I’ve never had it a day in my life. Clearly, I had no clue how to use it. I searched on line and there weren’t too many recipes using this grain. The few that looked promising used amaranth as a casserole topping. I read through a couple vegetable casserole recipes and came up with my own.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups diced butternut squash
2 cups purple cabbage
2 cups fresh cauliflower
1 shallot
1 bag of mixed greens
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 cup amaranth
1/2 tsp turmeric, cayenne, thyme and cumin

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cube butternut squash. Drizzle with a little oil, add thyme and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside when finished

2. Slice shallots. Add to pan of heated oil and sauté for 2 minutes. Add turmeric and stir for about a minute. Add greens with a little water or vegetable broth and simmer until greens are tender.

3. Shred the cabbage, cut the cauliflower and prepare amaranth according to the package.

4. Add the cabbage and cayenne to the mixed greens. Stir well for about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower, squash, tomatoes and cumin. Mix well add pour into casserole dish.

5. Spread the amaranth over the veggies and bake together for 35 to 45 minutes. Long enough for the seasoning to bake into the grain.

Cajun Tilapia on Rye Bread

The goal this week is to get my family eating different types of whole grains. In America the only whole grains heavily promoted are brown rice, whole wheat and corn. If you don’t do your own research you’ll never know what else exist.

Rye is a whole grain that is conveniently available in sliced bread. I was the first and only bread I had with seeds in it. That was childhood. Today there are so many types of bread with nuts, seeds and so on. Funny thing is, I had to visit 3 markets to find rye bread. You would think that with this country’s latest crave of whole grain that rye would be in abundance. Nope.

Any ways. I prepared Cajun tilapia with arugula and jicama slaw over rye bread. First I prepared the slaw by grating the jicama, slicing the apples, and shredding purple cabbage.

I also added mint, cilantro, lime juice, almond oil, cumin and a pinch of salt. Next I seasoned the fish and toasted the bread.

It was that simple. Once the fish was done, I assembled the sandwiches. I serves it with rice and waited for the verdict. My husband are half of his sandwich before I sat down to eat mine. The toddler ate the fish and the corn. I gave to find another way for her to eat the bread. And my teen ate everything but just not in sandwich form. Two out of three isn’t too shabby. Hoping for a home run with my next dish.

Truckeroo – DC’s Food Trucks

The spiciest thing on the menu was the temperature. A blazing 90 something degrees. No heat wave was going to stop us from indulging in the once a month event known as Truckeroo. There used to be such a thing known as Food Truck Fridays located at the same place, Half and M streets by the Navy Yard Metro station. Well, those days are gone and now I have to set reminders on my phone so I won’t miss out. The last few times we’ve attended the crowd has changed a lot. It’s mostly baseball fans killing time before the game. It’s not the diverse, families with toddlers, broke 20-something, band groupies mix it once was. We were hoping that the food didn’t disappoint like the crowd.

The slogan “Bringing Sexy Back one Vegetable at a Time” caught our attention. Even more interesting was the mock pulled pork made from jackfruit. It felt sorta like an omen considering we had seen jackfruit at the Botanic Gardens and then at the Asian market. Oh, and a repeat of Chopped. There we were wondering what the heck it would look and taste like and was given a sample.

My hubby, that cute guy with the cute baby – yeah him, doesn’t eat pork. I’m not sure if he even had a reference point. Well I have had a few pull porks way back when and let me tell you if you were blind folded this awesomeness would give the real thing a run for the money.

Can you see any difference? Nope! And don’t blame my amateur photography either. Not only does the jackfruit look like pulled pork, taste like pulled pork, but the texture is the same which is a rare find with mock meat dishes. Randy Radish was our favorite!

This was my first time seeing the Rito Loco truck. On the menu are burritos. But, not those thin, fall apart at each bite, fast food chains. These were nice and thick, densely packed and full of flavor. There’s even a fruit burrito. I went for the Mojito Rito – pulled chicken infused with citrus and topped with mint.

Served up with a handful of tortilla chips and your choice of spicy or spicier sauce on the side. This burrito was so juicy and tasty my mouth danced. My teenager was reluctant to try it. She did scarf down her dad’s fish tacos from truck anonymous.

That’s not the real name. We can’t recall the name and no one bothered to take a picture. Mystery fish taco was just ok to me. The bones kinda put me off.

As we were eating I noticed people with newspaper like cones stuffed with what could only be food goodness. I wasn’t wrong!

My advice to this truck is “pictures, pictures, pictures.” We walked by this truck without any luring excitement. Had it not been for seeing the food I wouldn’t have gone back.

This is listed on the menu as tapas RABAS and I have no idea what that means. But, I do know it translates into crispy fried calamari sticks, covered in a smokey tomato sauce, over garlic and herb fries. The last time I had garlic fries that ridiculously good was years ago at the Taste of Chicago. I don’t even know if blogging was around back then. The calamari wasn’t rubbery, dry or bland. It was juicy with breading that stayed on after I bit it. I could drink the sauce. Thank goodness for twitter because I’m so following them for seconds.

I’m guessing Doug had the day off because I was greeted by a friendly lady who was so excited about the food I got excited. So excited I order the salmon wrap. Where else on earth will you ever find Parmesan crusted salmon fillet with fresh veggies for $9? No where. Therefore you should find Doug and this grooves truck and take advantage of affordable gourmet cuisine.

So, unlike some popular establishments that suggest you eat fresh, yet when you bite into the sandwich there is no crunch or life left in the veggies. Well, that disappointing nightmare doesn’t exist at Doug’s. I wish I had a microphone so you could hear the fresh crunchiness of the cucumber, onion and spinach. No, you don’t feel like you’re eating a salad that just so happens to have fish too. It’s a great wrap that feels healthy and satisfying.

If you wanted to end the night with sweet dreams the dessert trucks were pleased to serve. Unfortunately it was the only time my picky eaters (teen and toddler) showed genuine enthusiasm. My toddler hijacked my brown sugar bourbon cheesecake. The teen (who doesn’t eat many sweets) settled for a Curbside Cupcake. The hubby and I shared lemon ginger rum sorbet from Sinplicity.

Overall it was a good time exploring, eating and sharing. Truckeroo, until we meet again.

Choosing Chips

There I was looking for ice cube trays at Bed, Bath and Beyond and stumbled upon the chips aisle. What caught my eye, at first, were these kale chips that still looked like kale. I’ve seen the ones that look like green tortilla chips, but these were leaves saturated in a variety of flavors packaged in clear containers.
The price scared me ($8 a bag) more than the vampire flavor so I kept it moving.

Then I was really surprised. I saw chips made from beans and another from lentils. These were producers I’d never see nor heard of. My first thought was to check the ingredients to see if what the deal was.

Beanitos had fewer ingredients and were really beans. I was surprised to see such a skim list. The whole bag was 210 calories. The Lentil Chips list was as long as many others but with better ingredients. Total bag was 110 calories. I bought one small bag of each to test them out. The same flavor: Sea Salt.

Beanitos

They look like standard tortilla chips and the texture is similar as well. They were not overly salty. Both my teen and my toddler says they were bland. The teen said they’d be ok with some dip or salsa. For kids who thought the chips were so-so they ate the whole bag.

Baked Lentil Chips

Spoiler alert! The bag stayed unfinished on the kitchen counter for 2 days. In eye’s view of My snack monster toddler, she never asked once for a chip. With that said the chips look sort of like pita chips on the bag, but in real life have the texture of puffed snacks like those veggie sticks. We were all excepting something with more of a crunch. We didn’t taste much of anything. No salt, no lentils, no flavor. Even my 6 month baby frowned.

Next time I’m in the chip aisle I’ll take a chance on the kale chips.

Vegetables for Breakfast: Part II

Swiss Chard! Nope, a little louder with enthusiasm. Read is as if you are auditioning for a part in the school play. Okay, 1 2 3. SWISS CHARD! Much better. Swiss chard is one of my favorite dark leafy greens. Much like spinach, it doesn’t take long to saute in a pan and it tastes good raw in salads. I especially like the colorful stems I use as an alternative to celery. But this is a breakfast recipe. No, I’m not making omelets because that would be too obvious. Instead I’m whisking up Turkeys in Sleeping Bags with Twice Red Dipping Sauce. And cast as the supporting actor is a side of Sweet Potato Grits.  Let’s start with our leading role.

I sorted through a number of “Pigs in a Blanket” head shots and noticed that not one included any vegetables or meat alternative. You can add veggies and skip the pok and this is how.

INGREDIENTS

1 can of crescent rolls

1 packaged of turkey or vegetarian breakfast sausage

1/2 cup of grated cheese (any cheese you like)

2 cups of fresh chopped Swiss chard (remove from stem and clean)

(Preheat oven according to crescent roll directions)

The first thing I do is saute the Swiss chard in a pan using a little butter. I add a bit of seasoning to taste. Next, I grate the cheese, pop open the rolls and line up the sausage. By then the chard is ready. I first spread out the roll dough, add the Swiss chard, cheese and the sausage. I find it easier add it all on the bigger end. And roll it all together.

Add your sleeping bag turkeys into the oven according to the directions on the package. While they are in the oven, you can start the sweet potato grits. I prefer to bake my sweet potato rather then boil it. I think the flavor is stronger and tastier.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 of bake sweet potato

1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

1/4 tsp of cinnanomon

1 tsp of butter (or coconut oil – tastier)

5 tbsp of grits

1/2 cup of water

1 cup of almond milk (or other milks)

1/3 cup of juice (apple juice works)

First, follow the directions of the grits. Some people may be using quick grits, others old fashioned so it depends on the brand you have. I like to use milk because it makes the grits a bit creamier. Boil the water and milk together, add the grits, stir and reduce the heat. Next, but the sweet potato in the blender, add the juice, cinnamon and vanilla. Blend until smooth. Add the sweet potato mixture to the grits with the butter. Continue to cook the grits for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

By now, our swiss chard turkeys should be done. Take them out the oven and let them cool off. Keep stirring the grits and add more liquid if needed. You want the texture to be smooth and creamy. Finally, the zesty Twice Red Dipping Sauce.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 of red bell pepper

6 pieces of sun dried tomatoes

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)

1/2 cup of diced onion

1/4 tsp of cumin

1/4 tsp of paprika

First, saute the diced onion and garlic together until a nice brown color. Next, slice the red pepper  (red #1) and roast over the stove top. If you don’t have a gas stove, no worries. Get the pepper charred just a little and dice them. 

Chop the sun dried tomatoes.  Red #2. Add all the ingredients into the blender and mix until you achieve a smooth puree.

Breakfast is served! And . . . ACTION! The first critic (Hubby) mentioned how the grits tasted a bit sweet. Of course, there’s sweet potatoes but no sugar. Adding vanilla extract and cinnamon enhances the sweetness of the potato. The second critic (Toddler) was not impressed by the Swiss chard, and asked for just turkey and cheese. But she thought the grits were cream of wheat and asked for more. My final critic (Teen) wasn’t brave enough overcome her aversion to grits. Unlike her little sister, she enjoyed the Swiss chard and turkey combo with the sauce. Everyone ate a veggie for breakfast. Now it’s time to clean the kitchen.