How to Make a Mistake, Great - Strawberry ChocoChip Shortcake

Wanna know how to turn a Strawberry Tallcake into a strawberry shortcake? 

Invite the two little guys shown below playing in my cabinets into your kitchen one Saturday morning and you may quickly find out. 

 

I awoke Saturday morning with the grandest of intentions to produce a dessert that would please my husband... who has been asking for a cake all week... and my son... who has been asking for chocolate chip cookies all week... and me, who could eat a good fruit dessert 365 days of the year.

I should have known that my kitchen karma was off. It started off without me being able to find my second "good" cake pan. 

One thing led to another and in my haste to dodge little hands that were destined to reach into a hot oven while I was checking the layers for doneness, I apparently checked more of the edge of the cake, rather than center. Fifteen minutes into cooling I saw the center sink on one of the layers. I made a mental note: gonna need to frost that section a little more (c'mon... tell the truth... you've done it, too... right?) 

Still hoping for the best, I turned the layers out onto the cake rack for further cooling. 

Then I noticed the layer with sunken top, also ended up with stuck bottom. Next mental note: that trick of sugaring a pan for a quick bread rather than flouring does NOT work with cake layers. Apparently, I don't bake well when I have "companions" in my kitchen. 

As for the cake itself, in my baking world, two strikes and you're out. A sunken top and a stuck bottom just don't yield the kind of cake layer worthy of Saturday afternoon praise. So I regrouped and this is what I ended up with.... 

 

...Strawberry ChocoChip Shortcake.

Honestly, it was more than enough sweet goodness any of us were prepared to enjoy. I constructed using fresh whipped cream (yes, I'm an R.D. who uses whipped cream. This is a dessert... it's not the basis of my diet); a pint of fresh strawberries that I quartered and macerated with a touch of sugar and a splash (and I mean little splash since the kiddos were enjoying, too) of vodka; and layered with the one surviving cake layer, which was just a basic yellow cake with about 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips stirred into the batter. 

I make a lot of things in my kitchen. And sometimes, I make mistakes. Luckily, this mistake was great. 

Artfully eating well, 

~Regan

easing into amaranth

 

Sometimes, a new dish is received with open arms; sometimes, a cold shoulder. 

Tonight, Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Amaranth was met with both. 

This was, very honestly, my first time to try my hand at amaranth as a dinner grain offering. It cooks up, in my opinion, very similar to a grainy polenta. Given my family’s affinity for polenta, I thought a roasted garlic and parmesan combination would make the transition to this new grain an easy one. 

I thought the combo worked. Amaranth is thick, just like polenta. However, it’s flavor and smell is a bit stronger... almost earthy... making it a little more pronounced as a “new” part of the plate than something more generically flavored (rice, for example.) 

My husband wasn't sold. Ultimately, the texture didn’t work for him. But as with any new dish, this won’t be the last time we visit the ancient grain. It just takes a little effort and creativity to find exactly where a new food feels most comfortable. 

Questions: 

How do your prepare amaranth? 

If your family doesn’t love a “new” dish... do you give up on it for good? 

Popping Corn

 

I’ve never really liked popcorn. I know. It’s not a popular sentiment... pardon the pun. 

But I recently realized that my perception of popcorn has been marred by years of microwave-based fake butter smells and tastes. 

I do remember vaguely a time in my childhood when those air popping machines that blew the popcorn up and out into the bowl were in vogue... they typically spared the humble kernel of the artificial treatment that I find so distasteful. But beyond that, I’ve pretty much been raised around microwave or theater versions... both of which I really find less than appetizing.

From a health standpoint, unadulterated popcorn is actually a very healthful snack. Fiber rich and relatively low-cal, it’s truly a wholesome, natural snack. But it’s often relegated to the “occasional” snack category, simply by the company in keeps. 

Because my oldest son is a popcorn lover, I decided to get back to the basics and see if I couldn’t find a way to enjoy popcorn without all the extras. What I discovered is that popping your own corn - real popcorn - on the stove, in a touch of oil and then lightly tossed with real butter and kosher salt is a complete (and welcome) departure from the bagged versions. It’s fresh and light ... and full of popcorn (rather than artificial butter) flavor. 

The added bonus: it’s easy and inexpensive. An entire bag of popping corn will likely last this family ‘til the Oscars role around again. 

If you’ve never tried popping corn yourself, I highly encourage it. Your microwave won’t get lonely. I promise. 

Here's how:

3 Tbsp oil
1/3 cup of popcorn kernels
Salt and melted butter to taste (optional)

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan on medium high heat. Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels in oil and cover with lid. When kernels pop, add the rest of popcorn to pan (make sure kernels are in a single layer).

Cover pan and gently shake pan back and forth over the burner. Keep lid slightly open to let out steam. When popping slows, remove pan from heat and pour popcorn into a large bowl. Toss with butter and salt, if desired.

food photo tips from the pros - taylor takes a taste

Anyone that's been following my blog for a while has likely noticed that I have taken a greater interest in the photos I provide for my recipes and this blog in recent weeks. Having worked in food editorial for magazines for a number of years and managing similar projects for subsequent employers and clients, food photography is something I've traditionally viewed as an end result of work. It wasn't until I upgraded my own personal photography equipment and simultaneously began enjoying the food photography of many of my blogger peers that it dawned on me - why not put my own equipment to use?

I am SO far removed from being a photo pro. I consider myself a decent end user/editor... purely a result of years of on the job training. But to actually prop, style and shoot the food is a completely different process... and not one that just comes naturally by simply picking up a camera.

That said, I do enjoy shooting the food I am working with. I have a long, long way to go to improve this part of my work, but it's definitely an enjoyable art. The focus of my professional work and personal blog has always been to highlight how great tasting healthful food can be. My hope is that by devoting additional attention to the image side, visitors to this site will likewise see that healthy food looks delicious, too.

...and I'm not the only one. After a recent Twitter #RDChat, I was overwhelmed to learn how many of my RD peers are also interested in learning ways to improve their food photo skills. So... with all of that background and discussion behind us, let me introduce you to the first of many entires where I share little food photo gems from the folks out there who are not only doing it well, but also sharing some of their tips! 

Food Photo Spotlight 1: TaylorTakesATaste (image below is his)

If you are interested in improving your food photo skills, or just want to learn a little more about how the pros do it, please visit his site. And let me know what you think!

Question: if you are a blogger, how do you shoot food for your site?

Artfully eating well, 

~Regan

fruited orange-oatmeal bread

beach improv

If you were hoping for a funny narrative about a comedy show we found while on Spring Break, no luck. Return to whatever you were reading previously.  

But given that this is a food and nutrition blog, I hope you were instead prepared for what I am about to share: kitchen improvisation... the kind where you never really know what you’re gonna get. 

I woke up this morning feeling the call of the kitchen in the condo we’re enjoying surfside during our Spring Break. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen at home and admit, the break has been refreshing. But every once in while when I’m away, I feel the oven asking for a little make 'n' bake. 

As anyone who has ventured on vacay with two kids can appreciate... my condo kitchen did not provide a lot in the way of ingredients, though. But because of some savvy snack packing on my part and a few key ingredients my mother in law managed to bring along, we ended up with *almost* everything I needed to make my oldest son’s favorite cookie - Oatmeal-Raisin. 

The problem: no oatmeal. 

The solution: crushed graham crackers. 

Really? Crushed graham crackers wouldn’t be your first choice as a substitute for rolled oats? Maybe not mine either, but I figured, why not. They make one mean pie crust and are mostly flour anyway, so why not give them a go.

The result was surprisingly good. Everyone in the condo agreed (which trust me... is saying A LOT). 

I based my recipe on this recipe from MyRecipes.com - my perennial favorite go-to source for kitchen-tested recipes. I made a few substitutions based on what I had on hand and my general tendency to experiment.

And what I created was more than just a cookie... it was a reminder that sometimes, what you have on hand is all you really need.

regan’s recipe round up - week 4

In the spirit of not reinventing the wheel, this week's edition of recipe round up (including Tartelette's Savory Greens, Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Tarts pictured above) is introducing readers to Pinterest. 

Have you heard of it? 

If you haven't and you love to look at beautiful food, people, places and things to be inspired, you will love it! This is truly one-stop shopping to peruse the recipes & dishes that have my current attention.  

I am visual.

I learn visually.

I remember things better when I've seen them.

...and I am so drawn to this new sharing platform that i can hardly contain my excitement. 

To see the dishes this week that I hope make it to my kitchen table, please visit my board at pinterest. If you do, let me know what you think. 

~Regan

(Note: The picture above is NOT mine. It is Tartelette's)

is it okay not to eat 100% whole grains?

 

The simple answer: Yes. Well...Um... sometimes. (But keep trying.)  

As a Registered Dietitian, I always encourage 100% whole grains, when possible. Fiber-filled and nutrient-rich, whole grains (think 100% whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, etc.) clearly have a leg up nutritionally on their processed, refined counterparts.  

That said, this is a taste-first blog. I believe in the deepest parts of my little dietitian heart that if food doesn't taste good, no matter how healthy it is, most people won't eat it... or at least not for the rest of their lives.

And frankly, I haven’t as of yet mastered the 100% whole wheat muffin to the point that I feel is worthy of inclusion to my recipe collection. Whole wheat flours have come a long way, and I do sincerely believe that a lot of the process in converting your diet is just refining your own tastes to appreciate the subtle differences in whole wheat versus traditional all-purpose flour. 

However, this family of “tasters” has agreed that my version of Whole Grain Lemon-Blueberry Muffins is where we want to be for now. A nutritional improvement on a traditional muffin (which many of my peers classify in the same category as “cake”... and rightfully so if you check the calorie and fat content), it still meets my family’s stringent standards of early morning tasty treats. 

But there's always room for improvement. I have been recently inspired by my friend Gretchen to employ the assistance of a scale to improve my baking (a concept that I have known for years was the way to go but have just been reluctant to make the move. Old habits die hard). Unfortunately, this recipe did not get the luxury of that new inspiration, but I’m in search of the perfect scale even as I write.  

If you’d like to read more about what she’s doing with her scale in baking gluten-free, make the jump. Come back when you’re ready to try your hand at these muffins. This is one time when the dietitian is saying it’s okay to go with a little less than 100% whole grain. (But keep trying). 

~Regan

Recipe Notes:

-This is not an exceptionally sweet muffin by commercial muffin standards. But that’s a good thing. Not only for the calorie count of the muffin, but in helping to train your taste-buds to enjoy a little less sugar at every meal. It also allows for the flavor of the lemon zest & the blueberries to shine through. 

-I bumped up the leavening just a touch at the instruction of the all knowing chefs of the Culinary Institute of America - Greystone. While in attendance at a recent symposium there, I learned that because whole wheat flours have slightly less gluten ounce for ounce, when you replace a portion of the all-purpose flour in a recipe with whole wheat, you lose some gluten. Gluten gives a baked good it’s structure, so adding a little extra leavening helps to bolster that structure building process. Don’t ask me to explain the science. I took my last Food Science class somewhere circa 1997. But I do know this - tinkering with leavening, especially baking soda and baking powder can leave you with a metallic muffin if you over-add. So tread lightly.

-I said that this is less sweet, but I will add that I love the addition of either post-baking sprinkled powdered sugar or a pre-baking sprinkled turbinado over the tops of muffins. It looks nice and gives your palate just that little bit of extra sweetness without adding a ton of sugar to the batter. If you like a “sugary crust” to your muffins, turbinado is the way to go without making the rest of your muffin too sweet. 

-I based my version on this recipe from My Recipes. If you haven't checked out their recipes, you must. They are all kitchen-tested and are guaranteed to work. Enough said. 

make ahead mom - let's not overlook lunch

 

Most of what I have detailed in recent weeks relates to dinner, or in the case of Perfect Pancakes - breakfast. But as a work-from-home mom, I often find myself in need of a quick, satisfying lunch that's as easy to prepare as the dinner that follows. 

That in mind, I've come to appreciate that there are a few foods that answer the lunch bell's call almost without fail. Baked potatoes are like a diamond - they are forever... okay, so maybe that's pushing it... but if you don't overcook them in the oven, they really can hang out for a while (in the 'fridge of course) and keep their quality quite nicely. 

My go-to quick-and-easy lunch of late is to re-warm a baked potato in the microwave and pack it with a mighty helping of the roasted veggies for that week. A little bit of butter (yeah, I said butter... let's be real ... a baked potato begs for the best) and a sprinkling of some high quality cheese, and you're in business. 

The funny thing is that when I go out to lunch with my husband, he often questions the nutrition credibility of ordering a baked potato. First, know that he is not an RD, but he definitely fancies himself nutrition-minded. Likely, his concern is based in things he's "heard" about potatoes... i.e. "they make you fat." 

Really? Aren't we beyond that single food evil notion?

Apparently not.

So let me clarify.

Eating too many calories and being sedentary lead to calorie imbalance. Calorie imbalance lead to weight gain. Period.

It should be noted, however, that calorie imbalance as a function of the type of calories is more relevant now than ever. Research to evaluate whether "healthy" foods actually prompt your body to burn more energy is ongoing. Janet Helm recently discussed this with Cooking Light. Be sure to check it out. It's exciting research for those of us who consistently promote eating less-processed foods as your primary source of calories. But for the purposes of explaining to my husband and anyone else who listen that baked potatoes are fine for lunch, the simple calorie equation will do for now.  

Anyway, I'll concur that the humble baked potato is not likely to top the list of nutritional powerhouse foods any time soon. But they are a good source of vitamin C  and fiber, and frankly, they just taste damn good to me. They provide a wonderful vehicle to transport other nutritious foods into a hearty and satisfying lunch and are always on-hand at the Make Ahead Mom's house.

So, what is your go-to quick and easy lunch? 

~Regan

make ahead mom - orange-beef and roasted red bell pepper wrap

 

I won’t bore anyone with the details, but this family is quite busy preparing itself for an extensive undertaking for spring break next week.

Enough said. 

We all go through the same at some point: before a big trip out of town, before a big party at our house or just simply at the end of a long week. My solution - make ahead. 

Tonight’s menu was composed of 100% make ahead and/or fresh from the freezer ingredients: 

Orange-Beef and Roasted Red Pepper Wraps 

and

Steam-in-the-bag edamame (truly one of my most favorite healthy food finds) 

I made the wraps from a combo of “get ahead ingredients”: 

Grilled flank steak (weekend)

Roasted onions (weekend)

Roasted red peppers (freezer) 

Sauce (combo of keep it on hand ingredients)

Tortillas (always on hand as well) 

Edamame (we buy these by the mega pack at our local club store) 

*The only thing I would add for next time... a little crushed red pepper in the sauce, or better yet, some Sriracha, would really set off the sweet citrus of the orange and hoisin. Definitely next time. 

All in all, though, couldn’t be easier and so much better than take out, honestly. 

What did you make ahead in advance for a night just like tonight?