Coconut Crusted French Toast

The waves of the sea

help me get back to me.

                                          -Unknown

 

This is usually a particularly hard time of the year for me. Christmas is over as well as the celebration for the New Year. My "resolutions" are beginning to fade and I am starting to feel like a failure. It is bitter cold and the thought of spring feels like a fantasy at the moment.

 

But, this year is different.

 

With all of the little changes that I have been making and my good friend, the "happy light", I might ACTUALLY make it through this winter in one piece! I have a couple of little trips planned and our big family vacation for the year is mostly paid for, I'm just waiting to actually make the purchase.

 

When winters are hard though, I have found that if I trick my mind into believing that I am somewhere tropical I can usually take off the top layer of sadness, even if it is only for a couple of moments. This usually involves listening to my Israel Kamakawiwo’ole station on Pandora and making something yummy to eat that reminds me of the islands. 

 

Nothing says Aloha to me in a more beautiful way than Coconut Crusted French Toast with Coconut Syrup. The warm toasted coconut is nestled nicely in a bed of thick sliced French bread that has been dredged through a mixture of eggs and coconut milk which enhances the flavor and gives a lighter feel to the whole meal.  

 

So turn up the music, warm up your griddle and blast the furnace. We are going to make it through this winter, one delicious bite at a time!

 

 

Coconut Crusted French Toast

 

1 loaf French bread cut into 1 inch slices

6 eggs lightly beaten

1/2 of a 13.5 can of coconut milk

1 tsp coconut extract

2 1/2-3 C coconut flakes

 

Warm griddle to medium heat and prepare with cooking spray or melted butter.

 

Mix eggs, coconut milk and coconut extract until well combined.

 

Dredge sliced French bread through egg mixture and then through coconut flakes.

 

Place on griddle and cook, flipping several times to ensure that it cooks evenly, until egg coating is cooked through and coconut begins to toast. 

 

Coconut Syrup

 

1 stick butter
1 C sugar
1/2 C milk 

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp coconut extract

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium sauce pan. (The syrup will more than double in size when you add the baking soda, so a medium sauce pan is necessary.)

Bring just to a boil over medium heat.

Remove from heat and whisk in remaining ingredients until syrup is light and fluffy.   



Eggnog Syrup

Gifts of time and love

are surely the basic ingredients

of a truly merry Christmas. 

                                                                  -Peg Bracken
 

When I think of Christmas, I am immediately transported to the flavors that make up the season. Those treats that are special and unique to this time of year. Growing up that meant: pfeffernusse, a German Christmas cookie that was a sweet gingerbread ball rolled in powdered sugar, it was crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle; stollen, a German Christmas bread that hallmarked the candied fruit made famous in fruit cake, something I still haven't acquired the taste for; and everything pepperminty or eggnoggy.

 

Since breakfast is probably my very most favorite meal to prepare, I knew this holiday season wouldn't be complete without mixing up a new syrup recipe that incorporated some of these flavors. I have long been a sucker for eggnog. It is just one of those treats that I can't pass up this time of year.

 

This syrup recipe has been adapted several times to meet the season and my current craving. It started out as a simple buttermilk syrup recipe with a splash of vanilla and a dash of cinnamon. My friend Holly shared it with me almost 10 years ago, and my life hasn't been the same since. I have used the basic recipe to make coconut syrup, rum syrup, lemon syrup (which is delicious over ginger pancakes) and so many others. If I have a breakfast craving, I know how to satisfy it!

 

This is a great way to share a gift of time and love with your family. Serve up this delicious, quick and easy syrup drizzled over hot, crunchy waffles and breathe in all that the season has to offer.

 

 

 

Eggnog Syrup

1 stick butter
1 C sugar
1/2 C eggnog
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla 
Dash of nutmeg and cloves

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium sauce pan. (The syrup will more than double in size when you add the baking soda, so a medium sauce pan is necessary.)

Bring just to a boil over medium heat.

Remove from heat and whisk in remaining ingredients until syrup is light and fluffy.

 



Strawberry Honey Butter

October’s poplars are flaming torches

lighting the way to winter.
-Nova S. Bair

I don’t know what it is about fall, but it brings me in. It holds me tightly with memories of trick or treating as a kid, the hot smell of the candle flickering inside my beautifully carved pumpkin cooking the flesh just enough to add its aroma to the already perfect evening. It reminds me of crisp autumn nights as I unpacked my belongings into a sturdy, warm dorm room that sat at the mouth of Logan canyon, the wind whipping around its edges creating mini snow or leaf filled tornado's. It reminds me of riding the shuttle over to the student center for a hot slice of bread with apple butter or raspberry honey butter. I had a car, but I would usually trade in the solidarity of a morning ride by myself in Crunchie the Love Cockroach (my pet name for my little Toyota Corolla because it made a lovely crunching sound anytime I cornered to the right) for the warmth and camaraderie of the shuttle.

Last week, as that autumn chill brought back those memories, I just couldn’t shake the craving that I was having for a little slice of my past. I considered driving 3 hours round trip, not including time to revel in my wanderlust, but as I scanned our calendar I knew that a quick trip would be a selfish indulgence that I just couldn’t justify for the day. So I set out to create a happy little pause button that would keep the cravings at bay until I had time for the trip.

This recipe could easily be adapted to any fruit you have on hand. After I finished up the pictures my mind started racing with ideas of different “butters” that I could try. The possibilities are endless. Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner my mind leaped to ideas that incorporated my favorite fall flavors. What about a pumpkin honey butter or an orange cranberry honey butter. I think both of those will have to be a part of our Thanksgiving feast, spread generously across a warm home made roll.

If the flavors you want to try aren’t in season, frozen fruits can easily be substituted. I made strawberry honey butter and a tropical honey butter with mangoes, pineapple and strawberries. They have both been gobbled up by my family. My kiddo’s have loved spreading them over their toast, crepes and waffles. I feel good that they are getting a little extra fruit into their days. The best part, it stores well in the refrigerator for up to a week in a sealed container or up to 6 months in the freezer. So you can take a few minutes today and enjoy it for several months to come!

 

 

Strawberry Honey Butter

 

1 c strawberries hulled and sliced

2 Tbsp honey

1 c butter softened, at room temperature

 

In small saucepan, over medium heat combine strawberries and honey. Heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to speed up the process. In blender or food processor blend strawberry mixture until smooth and then fold in butter until it is well blended.





Roasted Tomato Soup

"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet

without violins."

-Laurie Colwin, "Home Cooking"

 

Growing up I hated two things that were good for me, fish and tomatoes. When I took a health class in high school I realized the importance and benefits of incorporating these two beauties into my diet. It took years to change my opinion and palate, but I am slowly coming around. I started by ordering hamburgers and leaving the tomatoes in place instead of discarding them the instant they arrived on my plate. I'm still working on fish. I have trained myself to like lobster, crab and shrimp, but learning to like fish will take a little more time. Whenever I am near an ocean however I feel like it would be an insult if I didn't give it another try. I ate Mahi Mahi for the first time in Hawaii when I was 11 and really enjoyed it. This past March I had some of the most amazing salmon I have ever tasted while at an awards dinner, for work, in Orlando. It takes baby steps. If I had this tomato soup as a kid, I have a feeling my thoughts about tomatoes would have changed ages ago. It is a far cry from the preservative packed can variety and is almost as easy to prepare.

15-20 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 leek, chopped and rinsed thoroughly, white end only
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
2 c chicken broth
1 pint heavy cream
 
Preheat oven to 400.
Place tomatoes, leek and garlic on cookie sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes to prevent burning.
Remove from oven and puree in blender or food processor.
For a smoother texture, strain through a sieve into a sauce pan.
Over medium high heat, combine tomato mixture with salt, pepper, chicken broth, thyme and heavy cream, stirring constantly.
Continue cooking until soup has thickened to desired consistency.

Pasta Carbonara

Life is a combination of magic and pasta.

-Federico Fellini

 

When I cook for my family, I do my best to set the mood. I always feel like I am more able to listen to the little things that the food is trying to tell me when I surround myself with good music. No music connects me more readily and directly to the food that I am preparing than Italian music paired with Italian cuisine. The music and the food speak to me in a way that excites every inch of my body, down to the tiniest atom in my little toe. I can't help but dance through the kitchen as I mince the garlic or drop the pasta. It becomes a celebration instead of a simple meal, made on a weeknight, to fill the bellies of my hungry savages.

This is one of our favorite "go to" recipes. It can be played up with prosciutto or pancetta substituting Asiago for the parmesan, or you can go with what you have on hand and create a delectable feast for your hungry brood. You could add chicken breasts dredged through a combination of panko bread crumbs, oregano, basil, thyme and parmesan. Whatever you choose try spicing things up tonight and really get into preparing the meal from your heart. Turn up a Pandora play list that highlights some of your favorite tunes. Might I suggest creating a new station including "Mambo Italiano" by Rosemary Clooney or for a more authentic feel "Italian Traditional Radio". Whichever you choose, center yourself for a moment, take a deep breath and feel the love that is expressed while creating this simple, beautiful tribute of love for you and yours.

This past weekend I learned a fun tip that I thought I would share. It isn't as "life changing" as when I learned to peel garlic by first smashing it with the flat edge of a large knife, but I think this is a tip that I will employ anytime I have fresh asparagus to prepare. It is a time saver that will help you get this dish on the table in a flash.

Leave the rubber bands in place on your bunch of asparagus. Pull three or four stalks out of the bottom rubber band and snap the ends off individually, allowing them to break where the woody ends meet the tender flesh.

After you have an idea of the average length of where the woody parts end, chop the entire bunch to this length.

Leave the rubber bands in place and continue chopping into 1 inch sections for this recipe. Once chopped place in a salad spinner full of ice-cold water. Allow the asparagus to soak while you continue chopping the other vegetables. Drain the water and spin dry.

Quick and Easy Pasta Carbonara


6 strips bacon, crispy cooked
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed to one inch sections, discarding the woody ends
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tomatoes diced
1 pint heavy cream
1/3 c Parmesan cheese, with additional for topping
8 oz angel hair pasta, cooked to desired doneness as per package instructions

In large fry pan, cook bacon until it is crispy.
Remove bacon and clean out drippings, reserving 1 tsp of drippings to saute the onion and garlic.
Warm 1 tsp of drippings, over medium heat, and saute onion and garlic until onion starts to become tender, about 1 minute.
Add asparagus and stir fry for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook until the asparagus is bright green.
Pour in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and simmer until sauce has thickened.
Toss with pasta, serve and top with additional Parmesan.  

Slow Cooker Mango Chicken over Coconut Rice & Baked Pineapple...Aloha!

Tell me what you eat,

and I shall tell you what you are.

                                           -Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

 

After tonight's dinner, with the above quote in mind, Jean would peg me as a lover of all things tropical and he would be right. I have long fantasized of changing my heritage to more suit my palate and climate preferences. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't get excited at the prospect of scaring the life out of people when I tell them I love them (I'm mostly German BTW), but island cuisine and way of life melds so much better with my current state of mind than my own German roots ever have. (With the exception of Christmas of course. I would be lost without my German Christmas traditions and pfeffernusse.) 

 

Every time I eat a perfectly ripe pineapple or sprinkle some toasted coconut on my latest creation I am reminded of how grateful I am that other cultures and countries share their food with us. My diet would be pretty unexciting if I were only able to eat the foods that naturally grew near my geographical location. It would, however, give me even more incentive to move to a tropical locale.

 

Nonetheless, this quick and easy recipe helped to muffle my desire to escape to a tropical paradise.

 

With the kids now back in school and back to a myriad of activities, it has been increasingly difficult to get a good meal on the table. This is the perfect season for slow cookers. With a little prep work earlier in the day, your family can be sitting down to a warm delicious meal moments after mom's taxi service closes for the day.

 

 

Slow Cooker Mango Chicken

 

4-5 chicken breasts

1 large ripe mango peeled and diced

3 ripe peaches peeled and diced

1/2-1 full hatch chili pepper (or pepper of your choice) seeds and ribs removed and diced

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp lime juice

1-2 Tbsp toasted coconut for garnish

 

Prepare slow cooker by spraying sides and bottom with non-stick cooking spray. Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or medium for 4-5 hours. Shred chicken and serve over coconut rice with toasted coconut on top.

 

 

Coconut Rice

 

2 c rice

1 16.5 oz can of coconut milk

1/2 c toasted coconut

water 

 

Cook rice as per package directions but sub coconut milk for as much water as you can. For example I cooked cal rose rice in a microwave rice cooker that called for 3 c of water to 2 c of rice. The 16.5 oz can was almost 2 c so I finished filling the measuring cup with water to equal 3 c. When the rice is done, immediately toss with toasted coconut. 

 

 



 Baked Pineapple

 

1 pineapple cut in half, core removed. 

1/2 c ginger snaps crushed

1/2 c macadamia nuts (I subbed hazelnuts)

1/2 c shredded coconut

1/2 c sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp coconut or rum extract

 

Preheat oven to 350. Slice pineapple in half and remove the core by cutting diagonal slices into the length of the core. Combine ginger snaps, nuts and coconut. Combine sweetened condensed milk and extract. Pour half of the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the area where the core was. Top with gingersnap mixture and top again with the remainder of the sweetened condensed mixture. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the pineapple is a little soft and the topping is warm and bubbly.

 

To serve, cut off top and bottom of pineapple and run a long knife around the edge of the pineapple, separating the the skin from the fruit. Leaving the fruit in the skin, cut into bite sized pieces and serve.  

Mango Coconut Banana Bread (Vata balancing)

"Our thoughts and feelings have a chemical effect on our bodies. Stress, repressed emotions, depression, anxiety, lives being lived half-assed – all have profound effects on our wellbeing.

Even our fears, hurts and sufferings need to be digested, along with our last meal.

Being truly nourished has just as much to do with our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and experiences as it does with what we are feeding ourselves on a daily basis."

                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                  -Corona via nurturepod.com

 

Todays quote was much longer than any other quote that I've posted so far, but I loved the way she expressed so much of what I have been feeling. Today's recipe is brought to you by my loose understanding of Ayurveda. I have read through the lists of flavors that help balance the different doshas and the thing that surprises me time and again is that when I truly listen to what my body is telling me I end up selecting foods that are part of the list to help balance my dosha. It shouldn't surprise me, but it does.

 

I thought about appearing "all knowing" and listing all of the flavors that balance the vata dosha, but that's not where I am at the moment. I am just doing my best to listen to the subtle cues that my body is sending out. You will be happy to know that I am caffeine free again (for the last 12 hours anyway, but it's a start), so that should help.

 

I've learned that winter is the prime season for vata to become imbalanced. Ayurveda says that "like increases like" and "opposites decrease". The vata dosha is characterized by the elements of air and space. Both of which increase in our natural world during the winter through qualities of cold, dry, light, mobile, rough, and subtle. It is not surprising that winters have been hard for me to endure for the last several years. During a time when the vata dosha is easily imbalanced I have also been trying to loose weight, eating light and cold foods instead of the warm and comforting foods that my body wants. The "like increases like" throwing my body into vata imbalance that spirals into depression.   

 

Beyond listening to what my body wants by way of nourishment, I am also trying to do as the quote suggests and truly digest my emotions. It is easier to push those emotions aside, especially the really ugly ones, and just hope that they go away. But scientists are finding that these emotions often have physical repercussions. I think many of us have either read an article or listened to a radio blurb talking about the physical ailments attributed to stress. It isn't hard to imagine that our other emotions create either physical harm or physical healing depending on the emotion.

 

So, today I will allow my emotions a place to express themselves. I wont push away the ugly ones. I will invite them to sit with me, no matter how scary that might be. We will get to know one another and try to come to the reason for their visit. I will love and accept them for what they are trying to teach me. I will digest their lesson and move on, knowing that I didn't try to bury them without giving them a chance to speak. Everything that I experience is for my good.

 

While I am conversing with my emotions, I think I will offer them some of the delicious Mango Coconut Banana Bread that I made yesterday. It has the perfect blend of down to earth goodness that my emotions are in need of. As the days shorten and the earth gets colder I hope you will try some as well. Curl up with a warm slice and a cup of your favorite tea with a splash of milk.

 

 

 

Mango Coconut Banana Bread

 

2 1/2 c flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2/3 c sugar

1 c sunflower oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp coconut extract

2 tsp lemon juice

2 c diced ripe mango (1 large mango or 2 small)

4 extra ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 c coconut flakes

 

Preheat oven to 350 or 325 if using a convection oven. Sift together flour, baking soda and nutmeg. In a separate bowl combine sugar, sunflower oil, eggs, coconut extract, lemon juice, mango and mashed bananas.

 

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients being careful not to over mix. Divide batter between two prepared loaf pans and sprinkle coconut on top. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Check half way through cooking time to ensure that coconut is not becoming too dark. If it is you can cover the pans with foil to prevent any further browning. Make sure that it is cooked through by inserting a clean toothpick into the center of the loaf; if it comes out clean then it is ready.

 

  

Grilled Peaches a la Mode

Delicious autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it,

and if I were a bird

I would fly about the earth seeking

 the successive autumns.

                                                          –George Eliot

 

With our recent trip to the mountains, and all of the beautiful changing leaves, my stomach couldn't quit thinking of all of the exciting flavors that are about to grace our table. But my heart isn't ready to give up summer quite yet. Tonight, for dessert, I decided to make my heart and my stomach happy with a fun twist on a summer dish that plays up some of my favorite fall elements.

 

Say hello to Grilled Peaches a la Mode. This is the time of year that the peach trees are heavy with sweet, ripe, beautiful fruit just begging to be picked. If you are lucky enough to live close to a farm, you might take this time to pick your own peaches. Or maybe, you have a single peach tree in your yard that supplies an abundance for you and your family. My peaches came to me via Bountiful Baskets. As soon as I got home I tucked them away to preserve them for tonights dessert. Fresh peaches don't stand a chance in our house.

 

 

This was the first time that I've grilled peaches, so it took a bit of guess work and patience. In the end everything came together in a palate pleasing crescendo. I wanted to add fall elements of ginger, cinnamon and pecans but also keep it light, with the summertime freshness of peaches and vanilla ice cream. This was a perfect end to our grilling season by welcoming some of my favorite fall flavors. I hope you enjoy the end result as much as we did!

Grilled Peaches a la Mode

 

4 peaches washed, sliced in half and pitted, skins on

1 tube sugar cookie dough

6 gingersnap cookies

1/4 c pecans

1 quart vanilla ice cream

 

Preheat oven to  350. Crush ginger snaps and pecans in zip lock bag with a mallet or pulse in food processor leaving some bigger chunks. Scoop out sugar cookie dough with 1 inch cookie scoop and smash gingersnap and pecan mixture into each ball. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

 

While cookies are baking heat grill to medium heat and prepare peaches by lightly brushing with olive oil. Place on grill and cook for 2-3 minute and turn. If your peaches are not quite ripe cook for a total of 10-12 minutes. Ripe peaches should take about 5-6 minutes. You will know when your peach is ready when the skin becomes loose and juices begin to appear on the cut side of the peach.

 

Remove from grill. Fill pit with crumbled sugar cookie, top with vanilla ice cream and top with additional sugar cookie crumble and any left over pecan and gingersnap mixture.



Farfalle Chicken Alfredo Bake

I am a brilliant, gifted artist of the everyday.

My art is a blessing for me and mine.

 

                 -Sarah Ban Brethnach

 

Today's quote came from one of my favorite books of all time. In my journey to "find myself" again, a dear friend gave me the book "Simple Abundance" by Sarah Ban Brethnach. In this particular entry she encourages us to realize that we are all "Artists of the Everyday". We may not be composing symphonies or painting a masterpiece, but "baking a cake could be as much a work of art as choreographing a ballet, if you approach it with as much dedication." She goes on to describe the different ways you may approach preparing a meal. Do you throw the ingredients together in a fit of furry, whisk them together and hope for the best. Or, do you take time to center yourself taking care that things are done in the order and with the care that they deserve. If you do then Sarah says, "Love is present. Love is the spiritual energy that induces elevation-the transcendent moment in creation when craft becomes art." 

 

Whenever I prepare a meal for my family I try to do as Sarah suggests. I take a moment to center myself and remember that love will be present as we enjoy the food and so love should be present when I prepare the food. I've also found that music can help center my thoughts and elevate my mood. So I listen to music that inspires me, from the culture or region that the dish originates. Tonight, it was Italian. Sometimes I listen to authentic Italian music, other times I listen to what we have come to accept as "Italian" because of our many trips to Olive Garden. I have fallen in love with Pandora. I love that I can enter a genre into the little box and out pops a compilation of music that would take me years to acquire. For this meal I listened to my "Mambo Italiano" station. It was perfect!

 

Not all of the recipes in my blog will be strictly Ayurvedic, but I am hoping to approach my meal planning by listening first to my body and then composing a meal that fits within what my body is telling me. Tonight that meant comfort food. This week has brought a lot of upheaval at our house. The kids have gone back to school and I am now putting the pieces back together so that our house and our lives will play nicely with what lies ahead of us. I don't do well with change. So switching gears from the lazy days of summer to the stress of the school year with all of its deadlines and drama has kind of thrown me for a loop. 

 

But I think I'm back. When I am cooking I'm happy and when I'm happy, I cook. So things are looking up. I hope you enjoy this meal idea. It is really easy to prepare and a great "go to" for those days when you just need a little cheesy, creamy comfort. 

 

Farfalle Chicken Alfredo Bake  

 



 

 







Alfredo Sauce

 

1 c. butter

4 oz cream cheese
1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced

4 c. heavy cream

4 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 1/3 c. parmesan cheese

 

Melt butter in medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until the butter mixture has a nice garlic smell to it (1-2 minutes). Stir in heavy cream, cream cheese, garlic powder and oregano and bring to a simmer. Stirring constantly, continue simmering until it has thickened to desired consistency (10-15 minutes) being careful not to overcook or sauce may break down and loose it's creaminess. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese.

 

  

 

Farfalle Chicken Alfredo Bake

 

2 chicken breasts shredded (rotisserie chicken is my favorite)

1 lb. farfalle pasta

2-3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While preparing Alfredo sauce cook pasta to al dente directions posted on pasta package. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven and also when the hot Alfredo sauce is poured over the top. Drain thoroughly and top with alfredo sauce and chicken. Stir to combine. Stir in 1-2 c. mozzarella cheese. Prepare 16X9 baking dish by spraying sides and bottom with non-stick cooking spray for easier clean up. Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil, top with additional cheese and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.