Over the last couple of months I've had to reevaluate my life/career choices. I have chosen to return to school for a degree in Gourmet Cooking and Catering. This has been a long time coming and I have no excuses holding me back so here I come. I have decided to start this blog so that I may be able to track my Cooking successes and failures. As a Mother's Day present my husband brought me my lifetime dream present, a "Kitchen Aid". I am more excited then ever to get in the kitchen. My first item I cook after receiving this gift was an Oatmeal Cake recipe that was given to me by a friend of mine. This cake is absolutely delicious but very fattening. The cake came out so moist and delicious but in the back of my head I knew I had to find a way to make it healthier. I have to be able to cook great tasting food "healthier" and something my family of picky eaters will enjoy to eat. So I went back to the recipe and did my research and made some adjustments to the recipe. I used the same oatmeal cake base but add 2 cups/ 3 medium size Zucchini to the mixe and omitted the buttery coconut topping. As I mentioned earlier my family are very picky eaters vegetables or "the enemy". With that being said I figured I pureed the Zucchini , it would be totally hidden while given it a healthy kick. Of course after adding the puree it wasn't the consistence I was looking for and the color was bright green so I had to make more adjustments, added a little more flour and baking soda to have a better consistence and coca powder to change the color from green to brown with a touch of chocolate. With these changes I made my first batch of 12 ( should have made just 1). After 35 minutes of continuous cooking it was still raw in the middle. So in the trash it went did a little more research and added more flour as well as 2 tbs of baking powder, and Tada delicious muffins my sons loves. If only he knew he was eating oatmeal, Zucchini and flax seed, all of which he says he hates. Now he has one for breakfast with a glass of milk every morning. On my next batch I try to make I have to figure out and change:
1. omit butter for apple sauce
2. figure out how to keep the chocolate chips from melting
3. Use less raw sugar crystals for the top
4. Haven't baked with splenda but I need a better sugar substitute
4. Haven't baked with splenda but I need a better sugar substitute
5. how to make other flavors so he doesn't get tired of the same one. Cant very well eat this everyday forever. lol.
Spicy Vegetarian Red Beans: 3 out of 5 enjoyed
Umm where to start.First I would like to say once I've mastered them they will be great. Today I realized I cant use cheap products. Cheap products produces cheap food. Let me say it one more time so that I can practice what I preach "Cheap products produces cheap food" I followed the receipt to the teeth. Over night soaking, the right amount of liquid and the time frame of which the beans should have been ready, 1 1/2 hr I believe. Well 3 1/2 hours later beans still could have cooked for another hour or two. Anyway here is where I messed up.
1. I used the cheapest beans I could find
2. My homemade chicken stock I used instead of water, I added seasonings and chicken bullion to give it more flavor. After reading some tricks on making dry beans you cant use salt in the beginning cooking phase or it will make the bean tough... grrr I should have just used plain water like the receipt stated. Well now that I am writing this I guess I didn't follow the receipt to the teeth
3. All though the beans had a great taste I didn't have onion powder, smoked paprika or a bay leaf (dried bay leaf was used). I did add garlic herb seasoning instead.
I can say even with all these errors my husband cleared his plate, my other picky eater He says "he is allergic to vegetables" just to get out of eating them. This recipe had onions, green peppers, carrots, kale and red beans. 4 out of 5 things he says he doesn't like. lol
With the left overs I will continue to cook it So I can change it to 4 out of 5 people enjoyed. I am my worst critic.
On my next entries I will include pictures and maybe nutrition facts with my post for others to see, maybe it could help. As well as help myself fix my errors and/or remember how perfection looks so I can be consistent.
Update: Take 2 Spicy Vegetarian Red Beans 4 out of 5 enjoyed
Re cooked beans in a pot with about 4 cups of water. Brought to a boil and then simmered on low for 3 hours. Didn't think it would take 6 1/2 hours to make beans... I did a lot of research today on dried beans to see what I did wrong
1. Better quaily beans
2. Didn't get rid of the floaters
3. After bringing to boil I need to simmer on low not medium
4.Had salt in my liquids while cooking whice caused the small cracks to clog not allowing moisture in..
5. Still not clear if I should cook covered or uncovered
With all of these errors its no wonder why they took so long...
