Healthy Corndogs!

'Healthy corndogs' seems like a total oxymoron, but I have figured out a way to make the kid friendly food good for you, and still taste delicious!

I have never, NEVER liked corn dogs.  I probably could have gone the rest of my life without ever having another, especially when faced with the greasy, glistening ones staring at me through a lit window in a convenience store.  Do those things even qualify as food?  Maybe fud.

This week I was planning out meals before heading to the grocery store.  I always ask my family for input, and my son asked for corn dogs.  Ugh.  I pictured the boxes of frozen grocery store ones, and just couldn't do it.  Surely I could come up with something better than those, a version that is nutritious, tasty, and still appealing to children.  I wanted to surprise my son (he knew even by asking for them that he wouldn't get the regular ones!).

I took a whole grain biscuit recipe and revised it to be wrapped easily around organic, nitrate-free hot dogs.  They turned out to be nicely shaped, and tasted great.  I even enjoyed them!  My kids were so excited they actually jumped up and down!

Corn Dogs

3/4 cup whole grain barley flour
3/4 cup stone ground cornmeal*
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
8 hot dogs (preferably organic, nitrate-free, or veggie dogs)
1 tbsp melted butter
8 popsicle or lollipop sticks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the barley flour, cornmeal, all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk together the buttermilk, oil, and egg.  Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Turn onto a well floured cutting board.  Pat into a rectangle and cut into 8 squares. 

Insert sticks into each hot dog, about halfway up.  Pat one square into a thin rectangle and wrap it around one hot dog, pinching and smoothing seams.  Place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining hot dogs and biscuits.

Brush each corn dog with the melted butter.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before serving.

*Stone ground cornmeal is different than the cornmeal found in the regular baking aisle, which has had the bran and germ removed, resulting in a less nutritious product.  Stone ground means that it's whole grain, and is most often found in the natural foods section.  Bob's Red Mill makes an excellent, dependable brand.  You may even substitute stone ground blue cornmeal for a different flavor and fun color option! 

Sweet Breakfast Treats

Last night I was trying to come up with a new idea for breakfast, a little tired of the usual recipes.  My son suggested blueberry muffins, but we had those recently, and I wanted something different!  I am lucky to keep a very well stocked kitchen, so that I can make just about anything whenever the mood may strike.  I had a can of crushed pineapple that needed to be turned into cake filling, and pineapple upside down cake slid into my mind (I didn't need the whole can...just about 10 ounces, so I'd have leftovers).

I cannot remember the last time I had pineapple upside down cake, but I'm sure it was probably when I was a teen, and more than likely it was made with an easy-to-grab boxed mix, maraschino cherries, and lots of brown sugar.  Yum, but not really my speed anymore!

I took a healthy cinnamon muffin recipe and tweaked it.  I wanted some jumbo muffins so the locally grown, bright red cherries could shine.  The following recipe gave me 6 jumbo muffins, plus batter leftover, which I spooned into 6 regular sized muffin cups, the perfect size for my 3 year old.  If you don't have a jumbo pan, cut the recipe in half and you'll get about 9 regular sized muffins.

Healthy Pineapple Upside Down Muffins

For 100% whole wheat muffins, use 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour in place of the all purpose.

1 can crushed pineapple, lightly drained (so it's not too juicy)

5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

12 pitted cherries (or maraschino cherries), optional
18 tsp brown sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2-3/4 cup packed brown sugar (depending on your personal preference for sweetness)
1 egg
1 egg white
1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 6 jumbo and 6 regular muffin cups.

Add 1/2 tbsp melted butter to each jumbo muffin cup, then divide the remaining between the regular cups.  Add one cherry to each.  Add 2 tsp brown sugar to each jumbo cup, and 1 tsp to each regular sized cup.  Spoon 1 tbsp crushed pineapple into each (a little less for the regular sized ones).

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, egg, egg white, canola oil, and vanilla.  Pour into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Divide between muffin cups.

Bake 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  The regular sized muffins will bake in less time than the jumbo.  Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a rimmed baking sheet and shake gently to release the muffins from their pans.  Spoon any remaining pineapple back onto the top and serve warm with vanilla yogurt.

Whole Wheat Naan

Quite often I'll make some sort of fresh bread to serve with our dinner.  Pita, biscuits, or dinner rolls are the norm, and always whole grain.  A while back I had a craving for Indian food, and since we live in a culture desert, I knew I was on my own, unless I wanted to pack the kids up and drive almost 2 hours one way to the closest Indian restaurant! 

Making ethnic grub is not foreign to me, as evidenced by my posts on this blog.  I enjoy all types of cuisine, and it's fun to introduce the different types to my kids and figure out how to make it myself.  Naturally I add my own touches, so it ends up not being quite as authentic as the real thing, but it's usually much, much healthier, and very tasty just the same! 

That's basically how I came to make my own naan, an Indian flatbread.  I had only enjoyed this bread at Indian restaurants, and the whole wheat variety that Trader Joe's sells (that does taste a bit stale, having sat on the shelf indefinitely), so when I first started looking for a recipe I didn't have much to go on.  I settled on one in a cookbook that my sister got for me, but had to make some changes to come up with something whole grain.  Following is my rendition of whole wheat naan, untraditional as it may be!

Whole Wheat Naan
Traditional naan is baked in a tandoori, and some like to "bake" it on a stovetop skillet.  I prefer using a very hot oven and a pizza stone ( a cookie sheet may be substituted) to save on time.  The result is a flatbread similar to pita, but more full flavored and chewy.  This recipe can easily be cut in half, if needed, but naan keeps well at room temperature for a few days, thanks to the yogurt.

4 cups whole wheat flour
2 3/4 cups all purpose or bread flour
1 tbsp instant yeast*
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp butter or ghee, melted
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 cups very warm water

Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer.  Attach the dough hook and turn to speed 2.  Mix and knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms, adding more water if conditions are dry.  Turn the dough ball out of the bowl, grease the bowl, and place the dough back in.  Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

About 30 minutes into the rise, preheat your oven to 500 degrees.  Place a baking stone or flat cookie sheet (not nonstick) on the bottom rack of the oven to preheat as well.

Punch dough down, then divide in half.  Cut or pinch 8 even balls of dough from each half (so you end up with 16).  Cover the ones you're not immediately working with so they don't dry out.  Roll two balls out thinly.  Place on the preheated stone and bake for just 3 minutes.  Using tongs or a spatula, remove to a wire rack to cool completely, or serve warm.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  (If the dough puffs and creates pockets like pita, it's not a big deal; it'll still taste the same, and you'll have sandwich bread for the next day!)

*To substitute active dry yeast for the instant yeast, you'll need to proof it first.  Mix the yeast with 1 cup of the warm water and a pinch of sugar in a bowl.  Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients and proceed.

100% Whole Grain Muffins

We eat a lot of frozen and canned fruit throughout the winter, and especially in these last few months before spring officially hits.  (I know it's April, and today the sun IS shining, but our "spring" is more of a late winter, usually.)  Easter Sunday I used the last jar of peaches, pureeing it to mix with Prosecco for Bellinis for Sunday Brunch.  Having a little over half a jar left, I wanted to incorporate it into something baked, if possible. 

Applesauce is a standard ingredient, especially as a stand-in for fats in baked goods.  I decided to use the peach puree instead of applesauce, and combine it with whole grain barley and oat flour for a nutrition-packed breakfast.  To be completely honest, I wasn't entirely sure the new recipe would turn out....  Perfectly delicious!  I would have taken a picture, but they didn't last long!

Whole Grain Peachy Muffins
Barley and oat flour can be found with the Bob's Red Mill ingredients in your local grocery store.  Whole wheat pastry flour may be substituted, if desired. 

1 cup barley flour
3/4 cup oat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup peach puree* (or unsweetened applesauce or other pureed fruit)
1/4 cup sugar**
1 egg
2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup fresh fruit (chopped strawberries or peaches, or frozen or fresh raspberries, or blueberries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin well.

Stir together the flours, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, soda, and salt in a large bowl. 

Whisk together the peach puree, egg, and canola oil.  Pour all at once into the dry ingredients.  Stir until just barely moistened (don't over mix or your whole grain muffins will be tough).  Fold in the berries.

Divide between muffin cups.  Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in one muffin comes out clean.  Run a knife along the edge of the tins, and carefully remove from the pan to cool on a rack.  (If left in the pan, the muffins will continue to steam and will have tough edges).

Makes 12.

*To make peach puree, take 1 jar (pint or quart) of peaches in light syrup or juice, and puree in a blender until smooth.  The puree can be used in smoothies, as an ice cream topping, frozen as a sorbet in an ice cream maker, or mixed with sprkling wine for a delicious beverage.  If your peaches are canned in heavy syrup, omit the additional sugar in the muffin recipe.

**Omit the sugar if using peaches canned in heavy syrup.

An Interesting Twist on an Old Favorite!

Last night, as I was preparing dinner, I was trying to come up with a fruit to serve alongside. The bananas were still green, the kiwis hard, I only had one orange, and it was quickly apparent that I would be resorting to frozen or canned fruit. I decided to make a healthy cobbler that could serve as dessert and double as breakfast the next morning!

A few months ago I signed up for a winter CSA share, and in this week's box I received a handful of rhubarb. It's not enough to do much with, so I chopped it up and combined it with blueberries (a suggestion from a friend), and a few canned peach slices. I used a little more sugar than I would normally because of the tartness of the rhubarb, but this recipe is whole grain and still super healthy compared to most! You could even try an oatmeal crisp topping instead of the biscuits to change things up!

Blueberry, Rhubarb, & Peach Cobbler
2 cups chopped rhubarb
3 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh
1 sliced, peeled peach (fresh, frozen, or canned)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
nutmeg, cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter
2 cups white whole wheat flour, or whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chilled, unsalted butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
turbinado or sanding sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9" square baking pan. Place the blueberries and rhubarb directly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp sugar, and corn starch; toss lightly to combine. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Dot with little pieces of the 1 tbsp butter. Arrange the peach slices over the top. Set aside.

For the biscuit topping, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, remaining brown sugar, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Cut in the butter. Stir in the milk, adding a few more drops if necessary, until dough clings and a few crumbs remain. Turn out and knead lightly to combine thoroughly.

Pat into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle and cut into squares. Arrange over the fruit. If desired, sprinkle turbinado sugar lightly over the tops of the biscuits.

Bake 40-50 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and the topping is browned. (Pick up a biscuit a little to check and make sure it's not doughy underneath.) Serve warm with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or yogurt.

Who needs a candy bar?

Recently my mom has started picking my three-year-old daughter up from preschool on Thursday afternoons. That frees up my day for much needed house cleaning, errands, and an occasional lunch date with my husband, and also allows a few hours after my son gets out of school to hang one-on-one with him.

This afternoon I gave my son his after school snack and asked if there was anything he'd like to do. It's a snowy day, and he suggested baking cookies. Since the last of Tuesday's cookies were finished off last night, I thought that sounded like fun, and it had the added bonus of being low key. (When both kids are at home I have not been able to have them help me because they start to fight and a big mess ensues...my solution is to include them when they're alone with me! It's much more relaxing, and they might actually learn something that way.)

My son wanted to make cookies with chocolate dough. I pulled out my favorite recipe and promptly cut the portions in half. I gave him several options for add-ins, and he thought caramel chunks, chocolate chips, and peanuts sounded tasty. I happen to have homemade caramel on hand, but if you live near a good candy shop, you can use theirs (King Arthur Flour sells blocks of good caramel as well). Softening the caramel in the microwave for just a few seconds makes the hard type a little easier to cut. Be sure to use good quality caramel, and a good brand of chocolate. I used both mini and big chocolate chips to add dimension, but chopped chocolate would do the same.

Chocolate Candy Bar Cookies

This recipe makes about 34 cookies. If you need to make more, double the amounts and use two whole eggs in place of the egg and egg yolk.

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup, plus 2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chunks*

approx 1/3 cup chopped unsalted peanuts (macadamias or pecans would be tasty too)

approx 1/2 cup chopped caramel chunks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg and egg yolk and mix well. Beat in the salt, soda, and vanilla. Add the cocoa powder and flour and beat just until combined. Stir in the chocolate, caramel, and peanuts.

Drop by the rounded teaspoon onto parchment lined cookie sheets (it's VERY imprtant to line you baking sheets). Bake about ten minutes. Refrigerate the remaining dough while one tray bakes; if the dough gets too warm it will spread too much. Remove from the oven and let stand for 3-5 minutes to allow the caramel to set up a little. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

*Use a combination of different chocolates, if possible, such as semisweet and 60% dark. White chocolate also goes very well with this dough...you can get creative!

Dinner Now, Dinner Later

I will be going away for a girls' vacation soon, and while my husband is planning on cooking some nights, I want to make things a little easier on him while I'm gone. I hope to have a few ready-to-heat meals waiting in the freezer before I leave.

Before I had my son I started doubling recipes that I knew would freeze well. I would place half in a disposable baking pan, wrap well, label, and freeze for when I'd need it most. (I would've done that with my daughter as well, but our kitchen was under construction at the time.) Unbaked casseroles work the best for this: Tuna Noodle, Penne with Sausage Marinara Sauce, Lasagna, Enchiladas...you get the idea. By taking a little extra time when you're preparing one dinner, you will have a premade dish that makes anything in the freezer section (Stouffer's...) pale in comparison. And it's healthier too!

Today I made Chicken, Broccoli, and Wild Rice Casserole. I roasted an organic chicken, but you could just as easily use a precooked rotisserie chicken from the store to cut down on the prep time. I also made a creamy sauce instead of the well known use of Campbell's canned soup (which you could substitute if necessary...use Cream of Chicken or Mushroom). For one dinner, cut the ingredients in half (you could use two chicken breasts, cooked, and chopped instead of the roasted chicken).

Chicken, Broccoli, and Wild Rice Casserole x2

1 chicken, roasted and cooled*
1 1/2 cups wild rice blend
3 cups water or chicken broth
6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, divided
6 tbsp butter, divided
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 cup white wine
3 cups lowfat milk
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste (may need less depending on if you used broth or water)
freshly ground pepper
1 tsp thyme
2 pkgs frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
grated cheese

Place the rice and water or broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. (I crumbled a few dried chanterelle mushrooms in with the rice also, because I had them!)

Skin the chicken. Pull the meat off the bones and chop it coarsely (reserve the bones for stock). Place in a large bowl. Add the broccoli and set aside.

Chop four slices of bacon and add to the chicken and broccoli. Toss to combine.

Heat 2 tbsp butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute shallots, celery, garlic, and mushrooms until tender. Transfer to the chicken mixture.

In the same skillet, melt the remaining 4 tbsp butter. Whisk in the flour. Gradually whisk in the wine and milk, and cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Add several gratings of fresh pepper, salt, and thyme; stir to incorporate. Pour over the chicken mixture.

Add the rice to the bowl and stir to coat. Divide between two casseroles and sprinkle with cheese. Crumble the remaining bacon over the tops; one slice per pan. Cover with foil.

Bake in a 350 degree oven 45 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve.

If freezing one pan for later, wrap it well with plastic after covering it with foil. Attach a label and directions for heating. Once it's frozen, to reheat, remove the plastic and bake at 350 degrees until bubbly. This will take longer, about 1 1/2 hours from frozen state. You can always place the casserole in the fridge the night before (or even on the counter for 2-3 hours) to quicken the baking time.

*To roast a whole chicken for this recipe: Rinse and dry the bird with paper towels. Drizzle with olive oil and rub with salt and pepper. Place the bird breast side DOWN (to keep it super juicy) in a pan with a high rim. Roast at 375 degrees approximately one hour, until it registers 180 degrees.

Warm Bread with Gooey Pockets of Cheese

Tonight I made soup for dinner, and as the time got closer to when I'd need to start prep work, I realized I needed to come up with something to serve alongside. Garlic-Cheese Biscuits popped into my mind first, and they're certainly easy and fast (and delicious), but the thought of warm, crusty, cheesy bread took over and I knew I'd better get started if I wanted to eat warm bread for dinner and not late tonight. I looked up soem recipes, and King Arthur's version really sounded tasty. As I read furthur, however, I found that it needed to rest overnight, with a preferment, so that was out. Needing a quick, whole grain variety, I did some experimenting and came up with this loaf!

Whole Grain Cheese Loaf

If you prefer the flavor and texture of all white flour to whole grains, use a total of 4 1/2 cups bread flour instead of the amounts called for below. I used 7 grain bread flour instead of whole wheat this time.

1 tbsp instant yeast*

2 cups warm milk

2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp butter, melted

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder, optional

1 tbsp dried parsley, crumbled

2 1/2 cups whole wheat or 7 grain flour

2 cups bread flour

6 oz cheese, cubed (Fontina, Gruyere, or Sharp Cheddar)

2 oz cheese, shredded

Combine the yeast, flours, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the milk and butter, and stir until combined. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. If using a mixer, use dough hook and combine on speed 2, letting it knead the mixture until it's smooth and elastic.

Pat the dough into a rough triangle and sprinkle with the cheese cubes and shreds. Roll it up, and form it into a ball. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Place the dough in the pan and score it with a sharp knife so that some cheese shows through, in an "X."

Cover and let rise one hour. Near the end of the bread's rise, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake 50-60 minutes.

Let stand 30 minutes before cutting; serve warm.

Aloo Palak (Isn't that fun to say?!)

The following recipe is a favorite of mine. It's healthy, filling, and makes a wonderful lunch to look forward to the next day, getting even more flavorful as it sits overnight. No picture, though. Well, if I were to post a picture you probably wouldn't be willing to try this dish, and that would just be sad. Aloo Palak (Indian potatoes and spinach) is fantastic tasting, but it's a little funky on the eyes. Pureed spinach with chunks of potatoes aren't that appealing to look at, but the combination (with lots of aromatic spices) makes for a delicious side to an Indian-themed dinner.

I have made Aloo Palak several times, but it's been a while and my son didn't remember it. His first thought (as a 7 year old) was "ewww," but upon actually taking a bite he declared it fantastic and told his little sister she had to try it because it was a "treat." Enjoy!

Aloo Palak

10 oz frozen spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 onion, chopped
1-2 green chilies, chopped (I use roasted Anaheim peppers because they're mild, but use what you prefer, to increase the heat factor if you don't have picky little kids to feed)
4 medium sized red or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp butter or ghee
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp coriander
salt, to taste

Place the cubed potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cool water. Add the turmeric and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spinach with the garlic, ginger, onion, and chilies about 5 minutes, stirring often. Transfer to a food processor and puree.

Heat the butter over medium heat and add the cumin, garam masala, and coriander. Stir about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add a pinch of salt and stir in the spinach puree. Drain the potatoes, saving 1/2-1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the drained potatoes and stir to coat, adding some of the cooking liquid if necessary, to thin the puree. Serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Birthday Central!

Tomorrow is my son's seventh birthday party. His actual birthday isn't until the 10th, but it's working out that he's getting several days of celebrating instead of just one. Birthday parties rarely work on Mondays, especially when it's the championship game for the Oregon Ducks, so we had to move the festivities to Saturday. We're just having some family over tomorrow afternoon, and three of his friends. After cake and presents I'll take the four kids to see a movie before dropping them back at their homes.

To make Monday special, I was going to take my son on a Mommy Date to a fancy restaurant he's been wanting to try, but it turns out that it's closed that evening! So he gets to go tonight instead, since I'll be tied up on other evenings. My husband is hoping to meet him for lunch at school, and to make his actual birthday a little more special I'll surprise his class with a treat that afternoon as well. He's getting pretty spoiled this year with all the adjustments!

My kids plan their birthday themes all year, right after the current party has wrapped up. Cakes are always their first thought, and after figuring out what kind of cake they'd like to have, then the rest of the party can be planned. (My daughter is thinking about a Hello Kitty theme in September....) My son actually came up with the coin box cake idea for his Mario party.

I knew it had to be a perfect square, and to achieve that shape, I had to make it four layers...two recipes! That's a lot of cake! He asked for chocolate with cherry filling, so I raided the last of the freezer's local cherries and made an easy, thick filling. French buttercream gave the crumbcoat and a base for the homemade marshmallow fondant. I covered the cake board with brown fondant and scored it to look like bricks. For a "coin," I made rice crispy treat and formed it in a 6-inch cake pan. It then got covered with buttercream also, and fondant to make it more uniform. The marshmallow treat is sturdy and can hold upright well, unlike a delicate cake. I skewered it with dowels to hold it in place.

A few days ago I played with some gumpaste to see if I could make a Mario figure, as the only ones I've been able to locate were on Amazon.com for $18! Of course, with the time I put into making my own figure, that probably would've been worth it! After Mario was formed, I made bricks, stars, and a few mushrooms, per my son's requests.

I had some difficulty with the square shape and positioning the fondant, so the corners aren't as good as they could probably be. It's fun to work with the stuff, however, and every time I learn a little more about how to make the next cake even better!

Dinner in less than an hour, from scratch!

Tonight I combined two recipes, added something else that sounded good, and came up with a fabulous dinner! I thought about taking a picture, but when the food's hot, the kids are squirming, and there's too much chaos to stop and search for a camera...well, I decided to eat instead! While I won't go so far to say that this recipe is healthy (because "healthy" is relative, depending on one's own definition for his or her current diet), I will say that it's wholesome, filling, and full of nutritious ingredients. You may omit the cream if you're watching your waistline, but I think it adds fabulous dimension, flavor, and texture to the pasta.

Homemade Fettuccine with Wild Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Fresh refrigerated pasta may be substituted for homemade if time is an issue. I found the bag of frozen mushrooms in the freezer of our grocery store's natural foods section, but if I'd had access to an assortment of fresh wild mushrooms I would've used those! The dried tomatoes I used were from last summer's garden, so they're brittle and needed to soak in hot water for a few minutes. If using store-bought ones, they will probably not need a soak, as they're usually pliable and soft.

For the pasta, combine in a large bowl:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 eggs

Whisk together using a fork, and then slowly drizzle in cool water while kneading until it forms a dry, but cohesive mass. Turn onto a floured countertop and knead until smooth and elastic. Wrap or cover and let rest.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

For the sauce:
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (crumbled if brittle and briefly soaked, or roughly chopped if already soft)
10 oz mixed wild mushrooms (thawed and drained if frozen), sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cream
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
sage
parsley

Heat the butter over medium-high heat until melted. Add the hazelnut pieces and stir until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add the mushrooms and garlic to the hot pan and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the wine, and cook until it's almost evaporated. Stir in the cream, a pinch or two of dried sage, a little parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the cream by half, then stir in the cheese. Cover and keep warm. (If not using the cream, just set the mushroom mixture aside until needed and top the pasta with parmesan just before serving instead of mixing it in.)

Roll the pasta out and cut it into fettuccine (I used a thickness of 5 on my pasta machine). Boil the fettuccine about 3 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and toss with the sauce.

Serve immediately, topped with the toasted hazelnuts, a grating of fresh pepper, and more parmesan, if desired.

Serves 4.