Lemon Thyme and Ginger

Good Morning Glory Muffins

Good Morning Glory Muffins recipe.

One project of mine is to develop my knowledge and skills for baking with less sugar and develop recipes using no refined sugar. The challenging part of baking without refined sugars is, often sugar has more than one function in a recipe, especially in baked goods. Sugar not only adds flavor, it helps develop the structure and texture in desserts. Whipping sugar and butter together makes cakes and cookies that are tender, light and airy as well as tasting sweet. So, when baked goods do not contain refined sugar it is easy to create a dense and dry muffin, cake or cookie. I believe I averted that challenge and created my first low sugar / no refined sugar muffin with my Good Morning Glory Muffins. These muffins are loaded with healthy and fresh ingredients, and naturally sweetened and moist. They are tender without being weighted down from all the fresh ingredients. A great breakfast to start your day.

Good Morning Glory Muffins recipe.

Good Morning Glory Muffins recipe.

Traditional Morning Glory Muffins are easily adapted to a no refined sugar recipe because the grated carrots add a subtle sweet flavor. It also combines all-purpose and whole wheat flours in the recipe. For my recipe, in addition to using grated carrots, I added grated zucchini, grated apples, apple sauce and Medjool dates. The grated carrots, zucchini, and apples I used for texture and flavor, while the applesauce and dates help sweeten the muffins.  Apples and dates have a lot of natural sugar and melt when baked into muffins and cakes. They also have a lot of fiber. This helps slow down the digestion which is important to anyone who is counting carbs or watching their blood sugar.

The grated zucchini, grated apples and applesauce provide a lot of moisture. To prevent the muffins from getting soggy, I recommend squeezing out some of the water in the zucchini and apple. You do not have to squeeze them dry but getting rid of most of the water is helpful in creating a tender muffin.

What experts know about reducing sugaring baking recipes from Food 52

Good Morning Glory Muffins recipe.

Good Morning Glory Muffins

What I like about these Morning Glory Muffins is they are moist without being heavy and have subtle flavors including the sweetness. You definitely will taste the wheat, but it is not dry tasting. How sweet the muffins tastes depend on how well the chopped dates are incorporated throughout the muffin batter. I do not believe they need more dates in the muffins, otherwise they would be too sweet. Also, Good Morning Glory Muffins are hearty muffins without being heavy, so they won’t weigh you down.

Normally I love bold flavors, but with this recipe the spices create a deliberate subtle flavor profile. Even though I believe there is no such thing as too much fresh ginger, I wanted that flavor to come intermittently between bites like a surprise citrusy-ginger wake up call. The cinnamon is subtle as well, so it won’t over take the muffin flavor. However, each spice is easily adjusted to suit your taste. Often, cinnamon and fresh ginger contribute a sweet flavor in baked goods even though by themselves they are not sweet at all.

Good Morning Glory Muffins recipe.

Switch it Up

When I first taste tested my Morning Glory Muffins, I thought they needed extra sweetener, so I added a small amount of honey. However, if the dates are evenly mixed in the batter, each muffin should taste sweet without the extra honey. I do not recommend adding more honey as the flavor will overpower the muffins. You can substitute the honey with maple syrup or agave syrup. If you want less sugar, please feel free to omit the honey or, keep the honey and reduce the amount of dates to 3.

Also, to keep these Morning Glory Muffins in the low sugar category, I did not add raisins. Like dates, raisins contain a lot of natural sugar and I was concerned adding them it would make the muffins too sweet. If you are not concerned about the amount of sugar in your muffin add no more than a 1/2 cup (125 ml) of raisins and you will enjoy a sweeter muffin more characteristic to a traditional Morning Glory Muffin.

Grated unsweetened coconut is also a nice addition adding another element in texture and flavor. Add up to a 1/2 cup (125 ml) unsweetened flaky coconut.

Good Morning Glory Muffins recipe.

Determining when the Good Morning Glory Muffins are done

The hardest part about making these muffins is determining when they are done. Because of the amount of vegetables in the recipe and all the moisture from the zucchini, apples and eggs the traditional toothpick test is not reliable here because the batter does not cling to the toothpick. However, I still recommend using a toothpick to check for doneness. Instead of looking at the toothpick to see if there is any wet batter clinging to it, touch the end with your finger tips to feel if it is sticky and moist. If it is, the muffins need to continue baking. When the tooth pick feels on the dry side of moist and is not sticky, the Morning Glory Muffins are done.

Additional clues the muffins are done baking are the color and if the muffins spring back when you lightly touch the muffin tops. They should have a nice golden brown color and spring back into shape after you touch the muffin tops.

Good Morning Glory Muffins recipe.

Nutritional Information for Good Morning Glory Muffins

According to My Fitness Pal calorie and nutrition calculator, when made according to my recipe each muffin has 203 calories. Has 7 grams of fat (11% DRV), of which 1 gram is saturated fat, 4 grams are monounsaturated fat and 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, plus 0 trans-fat. Each muffin has 31 grams of cholesterol (10% DRV) which comes from the eggs. All other ingredients do not contain any cholesterol. Other nutritional points of interest are: Sodium 143 mg (6% DRV), potassium 217 mg (6% DRV), total carbohydrates at 34 g (11% DRV), with dietary fiber at 7 g (30% DRV), and sugar at 10 g. Also, each muffin contains 4 g (8% DRV) of protein, 41% Vitamin A, 16% Vitamin C, 15% Calcium and 10% Iron.

Because of the power of the sugar lobby, nutritional labels do not show the Daily Recommended Value (DRV) for sugar. If must be a concerning percentage if the sugar industry does not want us to know. I was hoping to get these muffins in the single digits, but with 7 grams of dietary fiber I believe they are relatively low in sugar.

More recipes using no refined sugar or less sugar.

Cocoa Banana Nut Bars

Low Fat Granola  you can adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe by reducing the amount of dried fruit. Using fresh ginger instead of crystallized ginger is also a great way to cut back on the sugar.

Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies 

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Good Morning Glory Muffins recipe.

Good Morning Glory Muffins

This muffin recipe is my adaptation for a low sugar Morning Glory Muffin. There is no refined sugar and are loaded with lots of fresh ingredients like apples, zucchini, sweet carrots and Medjool dates. These muffins are not sweet but will contain some sweet bites depending on how many dates are scattered about in each muffin. They are a delicious and healthy choice for breakfast.

For extra protein, serve with ½ cup (66 ml) low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt. Or Laban a Lebanese cheese made with yogurt.

Best served warm and the day it is made.  Serving size =1 muffin. 

Course Breakfast, Snack
Keyword Morning Glory Muffins, Muffins
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 38 minutes
Total Time 58 minutes
Servings 12 muffins
Author Ginger

Ingredients

  • ½ cup 43 g shelled walnuts
  • 1 ¼ cup 179 g all-purposed flour
  • ¾ cup 120 g whole wheat flour
  • ½ tsp 2 g Kosher salt
  • 2 tsp 10 g baking powder
  • ½ tsp 1 g ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg less than a gram
  • 1 ½ tsp minced fresh ginger 7 g
  • 4 Medjool dates 62 g minced
  • 1 zucchini 8 oz / 239 g about 1 2/3 cups grated
  • 2 carrots 6 ½ oz / 185 g 1 packed cup grated
  • 1 apple 6 ½ oz / 185 g ¾ cup grated
  • ½ cup 125 ml apple sauce
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup canola oil or 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 TB honey

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F/ 190°C / Gas Mark 5 and place the rack in the middle position. Spray each muffin cup with cooking spray. Soak up any excess oil with a paper towel. Or fill each muffin cup with a paper liner. 

Toast the walnuts

  1. Heat a small skillet over high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the shelled walnuts to the skillet and shake the skillet to move the walnuts around the pan. Keep the walnuts in motion by moving the skillet back and forth, shake the skillet or toss with a spoon. The walnuts are toasted when you begin to smell a nutty scent, about 30 seconds. Do not let the walnuts brown or burn.

  2. Immediately turn off the heat and pour the walnuts onto a cutting board to cool. Chop the walnuts to small bite size pieces. Set aside.

Prepare the Zucchini and Apple

  1. Place the grated zucchini in a fine mesh strainer and squeeze out most of the excess water. Squeeze several times to get as much water out. Place on a plate and reserve.

  2. Add the grated apples to the fine mesh strainer and squeeze out some of the water from the apples. Place on the plate with the zucchini. Add the grated carrots to the plate. Set aside.

Make the batter

  1. Add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, Kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, minced ginger to a large mixing bowl. With a wire whisk, stir until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.

  2. Add the minced dates into the flour and toss the dates around to coat with flour. Use your hands to separate the clumps of chopped dates to get them evenly distributed in the flour.

  3. Slide the grated zucchini, grated carrots, grated apples, and chopped walnuts into the flour mix and stir to mix.

  4. Add the applesauce, canola oil, eggs, vanilla, and honey then stir to mix. Carefully stir until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. You want to be careful to not over mix the batter, but it does need to get all mixed together. It is a thick batter.

  5. Scoop up a heaping ¼ cup of batter with a dry measuring cup and pour the batter into a muffin tin. Repeat to fill all 12 muffin cups. Divide any remaining batter around to even out the muffins. 

  6. Bake in the oven for 35– 40 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and the top of the muffins spring back when touched. Also, when a toothpick is no longer sticky to touch after it was inserted into the center of a muffin. 

  7. Remove from the oven and cool the muffins in its' pan placed on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, cool in the muffin tin, or remove each muffin and cool on the rack. 

    Best eaten the day they are made, but will last for 2-3 days stored in an air tight container. Reheat in a microwave or oven. 

    Can be frozen individually wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for up to one month. 

Recipe Notes

Because there is a lot of fruit and vegetables what have a lot of water it creates a very moist muffin. The traditionally reliable toothpick method of checking to see when a baked good is done, does not work here. No crumbs and batter cling to the toothpick even when they need more baking.

I still recommend using a toothpick, but in a different way. After 30 minutes, insert a toothpick into the middle of a muffin and take it out. Pinch the end of the toothpick that was inside the muffin, if it feels very moist and sticky, the muffins need more time. The muffins are done when the toothpick feels on the dry side of moist, plus is not sticky. These muffins take longer to bake because of the amount of moisture in the batter, anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes. 

Good Morning Glory Muffins. Recipe for tender and moist morning glory muffins made without refined sugar. These muffins are a healthy breakfast choice to start up your day..

© 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.

Sweet and Savory Beef Empanadas

Sweet and Savory Beef Empanadas, recipe.

I find it amazing that I can talk about my history and memories not just in a couple of decades, but in several decades. Over a half century to be exact. That sounds old to me, but I don’t feel that old. It is a momentous feeling to think about a friendship that is over 50 years old or remember an experience that happened 30 years ago. Even my food memories hold a place in my archives situated between remembrances of day-to-day life and momentous occasions. One such food memory that stands out is the first time I ate beef empanadas over 30 years ago.

It couldn’t be any clearer than if it happened yesterday. The sweet and savory flavors of the beef filling warmed my heart and surprised me. At the time I was pregnant with my first child, so this might anchor my taste memory. The sweet raisins made the savory meat filling come alive with each bite. I’ve had braised beef filled with raisins before, like in braciole, but raisins in beef empanadas are an addictive combination. I love it and often crave this Mediterranean flavor. Unfortunately, finding beef empanadas with the sweet and savory meat filling is more difficult than you’d think.

Finally, to satisfy my craving for sweet and savory beef empanadas, I decided to undertake the task of making them at home. What I learned during this process is, just like pot sticker dough, corn tortillas, or pie dough, the process of making the dough is easy in theory and practice. Yet, getting the dough’s texture just right takes some additional practice and helpful suggestions from experienced hands. Fortunately, there are two options: you can make empanada dough or buy it ready-made and shaped.

I tested both options and feel confident recommending buying the empanada dough if you don’t want to make it. I also believe buying pastry might be the difference between making empanadas this weekend or placing it on your bucket list. Believe me I get it, after-all it has taken me 30 years to finally make empanadas for myself. According to my recipe from Bon Appetit, Goya is the recommended brand. Find frozen empanada dough in the frozen food section with other frozen Goya products. They come in packages of 10 pre-cut pastry discs. Another bonus is they are vegetarian/vegan friendly.

Don’t let me stop you from making empanada dough if that is your desire. Click, this link for a recipe at laylita.com.  Included with the recipe is a helpful video showing how to assemble the empanadas. I made this recipe by hand, with butter and with a flour mixture of 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour. Empanada pastry is different from pie dough in that it is not flaky, and is supposed to absorb the juices from the filling keeping a crumbly texture.

Sweet and Savory Beef Empanadas, recipe.

 

Sweet and Savory Beef Empanadas, recipe.

As for empanada filling, anything goes. There are many traditional fillings from South American and Central American countries, and within these countries each region has another variation. I am not sure of the origin of my favorite beef, raisin and Spanish olive filling so I feel at liberty to play around with the seasoning. The warm spices like cumin and cinnamon give the beef a lot of depth of flavor. Feel free to substitute it with ground pork, ground lamb, ground turkey, or shredded chicken. If you want a vegetarian empanada, substitute the beef with the filling from Swiss Chard and Feta Stuffed Pastry, or make this stuffed pastry as an option. I wonder how my Ratatouille made with Fennel and Chickpeas recipe would taste encased in empanada pastry?

My empanada recipe is slightly adapted from Argentinian Beef Empanadas from Bon Appetit, February 2017. I added additional spices and slightly adjusted their technique.

Where did the time go, and why did I wait so long to make beef empanadas? Beef empanadas are delicious either using homemade or purchased pastry dough. I know Joe is excited about having a freezer full of beef empanadas at his disposal. They make great snacks, appetizers, picnic food, or to eat for any meal of the day. Serve them plain or with chimichurri sauce.

Sweet and Savory Beef Empanadas, recipe.

3 Tips for Making the Perfect Beef Empanadas

  • To ensure your empanadas have a tight seal and don’t explode in the oven, assemble the empanadas when the filling is at a cool room temperature or chilled. When the filling is cool there is less liquid oozing over the pastry.
  • Second, when assembling the empanadas, make sure the filling stays compact in the center and does not roll out to the edge. Making a tight seal along the edge is important to ensure the empanadas do not leak.
  • Third, once the empanadas are all assembled, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to an hour. This chilling time allows the dough to relax and secure the seal. Of all the tips to remember, chilling the empanadas before you bake them is the most important.
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Sweet and Savory Beef Empanadas, recipe.

Sweet and Savory Beef Empanadas

Empanadas are a flaky pastry stuffed with a sweet or savory filling. They make great appetizers, lunch, light supper and perfect picnic food. Empanadas originated from Spain but many cultures all over the world have several regional varieties. I love empanadas with a sweet and savory meat filling. My favorite is with ground beef or lamb, raisins and olives seasoned with warm spices like cumin, paprika and cinnamon. You can substitute ground beef with ground pork, turkey, or lamb. Serve plain or with a chimichurri sauce . You can make the meat and dough ahead of time then assemble them the day they are made. Uncooked empanadas also freeze well for up to three months. Empanadas can be made one day in advance. Reheat on a sheet pan in a 300°F (149°C) oven for about 15 minutes or until warm through. The empanada filling recipe is slightly adapted from Bon Appetit, Argentinian Beef Empanadas, February 2017
Course Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Argentianinian
Prep Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Author Ginger

Ingredients

Empanadas

  • 3 TB olive oil divided
  • 1.5 lbs (750 g) ground beef
  • 2 onions chopped
  • 2 red bell peppers chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 TB ground cumin
  • 2 TB sweet paprika
  • 1 TB dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground clove
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) chicken stock
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt plus more for seasoning
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) raisins
  • 1/2 cup Spanish green olives pitted and rough chopped
  • 3 packages Puff pastry dough for Turnovers/Empanadas* preferably Goya or homemade empanada dough
  • You will need 2-3 large rimmed sheet pans. If you only have 2 sheet pans bake the empanadas over two batches.

Instructions

  1. If you are making homemade empanada dough , make it first then refrigerate it while you make the meat filling.

Empanada Filling

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a12-inch (29 cm) skillet (or Dutch Oven), at medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the meat and cook until browned with no visible pink spots. While the meat cooks, break it up using the side of a wooden spoon. Season with a pinch, about ¼ tsp, of Kosher salt and stir to mix.
  2. Remove the ground beef using a slotted spoon and place on a plate and loosely cover aluminum foil. Reserve for later.
  3. Lower the heat to medium then add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the chopped onions and bell peppers. Stir to evenly coat and cook until the onions and peppers have softened, but not browned, about 15 minutes. Stir frequently so the vegetables do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add the minced garlic, stir and cook for about one minute.
  5. Add the browned meat and any juices, bay leaf, cumin, paprika, oregano, ground cinnamon, ground clove and cayenne pepper to the meat mixture and stir to evenly mix. Cook for about one minute.
  6. Add the chicken stock, sugar and a 1/2 tsp of Kosher salt, and several rounds of freshly ground black pepper. Stir the mix, scraping along the bottom of the pan with your spoon to loosen up any browned bits. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the liquid is evaporated.
  7. Stir in the raisins and olives then transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper or sugar if needed. Remove the bay leaf. Allow the filling to cool down to a cool room temperature or cover and refrigerate for about an hour or more. The beef filling can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Assemble the Empanadas

  1. Remove the defrosted purchased dough, or homemade dough, from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  2. For the homemade dough, follow the instructions given with your recipe.
  3. Pre-heat the oven for 375°F / 190°C and place the racks in the upper and lower third position in the oven. Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper.
  4. Fill a glass or small bowl with water and keep at your work area.
  5. Place 6 pastry discs on a work surface. To prevent the pastry from sticking to your work surface keep the paper divider under the empanada pastry.
  6. Add 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each disc. Dab your finger in the water and paint the edge of one pastry with water. Bring the two sides together by picking up the center points of the top and bottom of the pastry circle making a half moon shape. Starting at the center, pinch the edges together and move your fingers down both sides, pinching along the way to seal the edges.
  7. Lay the empanada flat on the work surface and run your fingers over the mounded part of the pastry to work out any air around the filling. Press down to secure the edges. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork.
  8. Place the empanada on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheet and continue until all the filling is used up. Loosely drape the assembled empanadas with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, so they do not dry out.
  9. Each sheet pan holds about 12 empanadas. When one sheet pan reaches capacity, loosely cover the empanadas with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour. Continue assembling the remaining empanadas and refrigerate for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
  10. Remove the empanadas from the refrigerator and baste each empanada with an egg yolk and water wash. Bake for 25-35 minutes, rotating the sheet pans front to back and top to bottom, half way through. The empanadas are done when they have a nice golden brown color and slightly darker around the edges.
  11. Do ahead note: Unbaked empanadas will keep for 3 months in the freezer. Freeze them on a sheet pan until they are frozen solid, then transfer them into freezer bags and keep in the freezer.

Recipe Notes

Goya makes puff pastry dough for turnovers/empanadas. They are found in the freezer section of your grocery store with other Goya products. This product should not be confused with puff pastry dough found in the dessert freezer section of the store.

Sweet and Savory Beef Empanadas.

© 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.

Parsley Juice with Ginger and Apple

Parsley Juice, recipe

Recent Posts, Snack | January 23, 2018 | By

Food trends come and go, but one food trend is here to stay, making juice out of fruits and vegetables. Who would have thought banana and kale tastes great together in a drink? They do, and it is a very popular combination in a variety of smoothies and juices. I do not usually juice my vegetables, but now and then I enjoy a juice made with bright vegetables or fruits for an invigorating snack.

Surprisingly, one juice I really enjoy is made with an unusual ingredient, parsley. Parsley is such an under-rated herb because it is over used as a garnish. As a result, parsley is often overlooked as a valuable and fresh tasting herb. I believe parsley has a bright taste that perks up rich foods, like stews. Also, it is the perfect foundation for many fresh herb blends. Despite the unassuming appearance, parsley also has some important nutritional benefits.

Parsley Juice, recipe.

This recipe is from Seamus Mullen’s cookbook Hero Food. In his cookbook Seamus talks about growing up in Vermont, becoming a chef and being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. His recipes focus on different foods he calls “hero foods” for their nutritional benefits and how they changed his life. Seamus discovered the most effective means for combating his illness and living without pain is through exercise and diet. Parsley is one of his hero foods and has a whole chapter all to itself.

Parsley Juice, recipe

According to Seamus, and additional studies, eating parsley can reduce the effects of rheumatoid arthritis (see link below about parsley). He knows firsthand the nutritional and health benefits of parsley, and drinks smoothies and juices made with parsley whenever he is not feeling well. There are studies showing eating parsley benefits people with rheumatoid arthritis, but there is some debate if it’s helpful for osteoarthritis.

I do not have rheumatoid arthritis, so I cannot speak about his claims, but I do believe one’s diet has an impact on how we feel. As the saying goes, “You are what you eat”. This juice drink is just one part of a larger group of foods with nutritional and healing benefits. It is not a cure-all, though I can honestly say I feel peppy after I drink it.

Parsley, an apple and fresh ginger blend into a drink providing lots of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and easy on the digestion. The apple makes this a thick juice with some texture, but it still goes down smooth. My version has less honey than the original, and I also like to add some mint. The apple and ginger soften the parsley making a well-balanced and delicious juice. Drink this juice snack when you are craving something fresh and light.

Parsley Juice, recipe

Sugar snap peas with shiitake mushrooms has lots of ginger in this vegetable side dish. Add some extra parsley for some extra fresh flavor. 

Health Benefits for Parsley Juice

Parsley

Apples

Ginger

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Parsley Juice, reicpe

Parsley Juice with Ginger and Apple

This juice made with parsley, an apple and grated fresh ginger is bright and invigorating. The apple and parsley blend very nicely for a crisp flavor with an extra kick of ginger. Add more or less of the ingredients to suit your taste. I usually add more ginger, and also add some mint. This recipe is slightly adapted from Seamus Mullen's cookbook, Hero Food .
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 1 - 12 oz drink
Author Ginger

Ingredients

  • 2 oz / 59 g fresh Italian parsley stems and all
  • 1 medium green apple 7 oz / 95 g
  • 1 TB honey
  • 1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
  • A few mint leaves optional

Instructions

  1. Wash the parsley very carefully to make sure there is no sand and dirt clinging to the leaves. Set aside on a clean kitchen towel, (there is no need to spin it to dry). Core the apple and cut into wedges. (If you are using an immersion blender grate the apples, skin and all, and chop the parsley.)
  2. Add all the ingredients into a blender or the bowl of a food processor with 1/4 cup of cold water and 2 ice cubes, (smash the ice cubes if you are using an immersion blender.) Process all the ingredients until it becomes a liquid and you reach your desired consistency. Because of the apple this juice will seem thick and pulpy. You can add a little more water if you want to thin it out but careful not to make it too runny. Drink immediately or keep chilled in the refrigerator for an hour or so.

Recipe Notes

The blender is the best tool for making vegetable juices. I have good results using a food processor and an immersion blender. It takes a little longer, but you still get good results. If you use an immersion blender, blend all the ingredients in the container the immersion blender comes with or a quart size soup take out container. It is helpful to grate the apple and chop the parsley before mixing in a food processor or an immersion blender.

Parsley Juice. A delicious and healthy juice recipe made with fresh parsley, apple and fresh ginger.

© 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.

Family Favorite Pumpkin Bread

Family Favorite Pumpkin Bread Recipe

I have a few recipes that stand the test of time, is always there when I need it, and never fails me. This pumpkin bread recipe is one of them. It is always a crowd pleaser and it is so easy to make. If this recipe could talk, it would tell many tales of my children’s’ preschool snack time, their school bake sales, our weekends away visiting friends, homemade gifts, learning how to bake, swim meets, college care packages, and easy mornings at home.

Family Favorite Pumpkin Bread recipe

Some foods and recipes are like that. They exist as part of our collective experience spanning a family’s history and time well spent with friends, teachers, colleagues, neighbors and family. They are treasured artifacts in the family archives. For me, I have a couple symbolic recipes that mark my parent’s heritage, but very few. Hopefully, I generated a selection of treasured recipes for my children to remember their childhood by, and create new ones that hold a special place in our growing family’s future.

Family Favorite Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Family Favorite Pumpkin Bread Recipe

My pumpkin bread is a throwback recipe from the 70’s when I was in high school. A dear friend gave me the recipe. I cannot remember what initiated this gift, but I believe she just wanted to share it. Harriot and her family loved to cook and were always generous with recipes and information about food. Whenever I was at their house, someone was in the kitchen making something. If I remember correctly, Harriot and I had a few cooking adventures of our own.

Besides the delicious taste, this pumpkin bread recipe has a couple of great features. One, it is easy to make and second, it makes two loaves. After all these years, I still can’t believe one small can of pumpkin purée makes two loaves of pumpkin bread. There is no need to measure out a cup of pumpkin mash and worry about what to make with the rest. That is a real pet peeve of mine. It is not the case for this pumpkin bread. One recipe, one can of pumpkin purée, two loaves of spicy pumpkin bread. A practical quick bread recipe.

Family Favorite Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Because it is so easy to make, it is perfect for a baking project with young children, or anyone who wants to learn how to bake. This recipe rarely fails. However, if it has been a while since you used baking powder or baking soda, make sure the leaveners are fresh. There was only one time this pumpkin bread did bake properly. Once, after I gave this recipe to a friend who said she couldn’t bake, she made it and came over to share it with me. She was so proud of her accomplishment I did not have the heart to tell her the bread did not rise. When that happens it usually means the baking powder and baking soda lost their leavening powers. Still, it tasted great and hopefully she kept on baking.

More family favorite recipes:

Pasta with Ham and Spring Vegetables

Swedish Apple Pie

Pineapple Stuffing

The spices are a mixture of cinnamon, allspice and a generous amount of ground clove. Not all pumpkin bread recipes include ground cloves, and I believe they fall flat. There is twice as much cinnamon and allspice to cloves in each loaf, yet the ground cloves gently stand out. I like that the cinnamon does not dominate the spicy favor. Often, after I serve pumpkin bread to friends I get a delighted question, “Oh nice. What spice am I tasting? ” My anser is always received with a surprised and happy expression, “It’s clove.”

Family Favorite Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Over the years I have made a few variations of this pumpkin bread, but I keep coming back to the original. I made it with canned pumpkin purée and fresh pumpkin purée. With orange zest, crumble topping, candied ginger, and different flours. Each variation slightly changes the texture of the bread. I discovered, the fresh pumpkin makes an airier bread. Also, I noticed the crust is crispier with the fresh pumpkin.

If you want to use fresh pumpkin, roast wedges of sugar pumpkin in a 400°F (200°C) oven until very tender. Scrape the roasted pumpkin from its’ peel and purée in a food processor, or blender until smooth. Cool and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. Best Pumpkins to bake with. 

Family Favorite Pumpkin Bread Recipe

I should call this Friendship Bread, because the recipe is enjoying a life span of over 40 plus years and growing. I never thought twice about sharing it with friends and family. The name Friendship Bread is already taken, so Family Favorite Pumpkin Bread it stays. A treasured heirloom for sharing over the years to come.

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Famiy Favorite Pumpkin Bread recipe

Family Favorite Pumpkin Bread

This pumpkin bread is one of my family's all-time favorite recipes, and the most requested recipe from friends. It's a keeper. It is the perfect baking recipe for new cooks and young children. There is no fancy equipment required, just a large mixing bowl, mixing spoon and 2 loaf pans. All you need to do is measure, stir, then bake. This is a great breakfast treat, or an after-school snack with apple slices or an orange. The pumpkin bread will last covered in plastic wrap or an air-tight container for 4 days unrefrigerated. It freezes well when tightly sealed with several layers of plastic wrap, or one layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (574 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 3 cups (613 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 15 oz can (425 g) pumpkin purée or 1 lb (453 g) fresh pumpkin purée
  • 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable or canola oil
  • 2/3 cup (150 ml) cold water
  • 4 large eggs

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F (175° C / Gas Mark 4)
  2. Prepare 2- 9 x 5 inch (24 x 13.5 cm) loaf pans. Lightly grease with butter or oil spray, then line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  3. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, Kosher salt, cinnamon allspice, and clove into a large mixing bowl. Then whisk the ingredients in the bowl until you see all the spices are evenly mixed in the flour. Add the sugar and whisk together until combined.
  4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then add the pumpkin purée, oil, and water. Stir until just combined. Using a rubber spatula or spoon, scrape along the bottom and sides of the bowl to get everything thoroughly mixed.
  5. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly with each addition.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, about 3/4 full.
  7. Place the bread pans in the oven and bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a cooling rack, then remove the pumpkin bread from their pans.
  9. Cool on the cooling rack before serving.

© 2017 – 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.

Cheese and Chive Herb Bread

Cheese and Chive Herb Bread recipe

Each year as my garden matures, the herb garden expands as well. Slowly, the herb bed has inched deeper into the precious sunny real-estate and has started replacing my lawn. I add one or two more herb plants a year and build my dream herb garden. One herb plant that is thriving is my chive plant. Fortunately, it is not growing out of control, but remains nicely contained in a tall spiky mound.

Cheese and Chives Herb Bread

Cheese and Chive Herb Bread recipe

The plant grows without a lot of disturbance because I rarely use fresh chives in my cooking. However, it needed a thinning and removal of all the spent flowers before they spread their seeds. Afterwards, I was left with a large bundle of chives and a new challenge, how to use up all the chives before they go bad. This is the type of challenge I enjoy, and inspires me to look for new ideas.

Cheese and Chive Herb Bread recipe

Cheese and Chive Herb Bread recipe

I wanted to make something different, yet easily prepared and quick to finish. What I dreamed of was a recipe from Season 3 of The Great British Baking Show, Ian’s quick bread with wild garlic. While watching the episode, the smell of the wild garlic and bread traveled across the ocean and through my television, and I have craved it ever since. Unfortunately, I could not find his recipe. Rather, I came upon a recipe, which although is not British in nature, has that oniony-bready fix I was looking for.

Cheese and Chive Herb Bread recipe

This recipe is a savory bread with chives and cheddar cheese by Dorie Greenspan on the website, Serious Eats. It was exactly what I was craving, a savory quick bread to unload my bundle of chives, and give me some immediate satisfaction. I slightly adapted her recipe, and used Gruyère cheese, chives, garlic chives, lemon thyme and nixed the walnuts.

Dorie explains in her recipe; the French refer to just about everything made in a pan as a cake. A loaf such as this, is called, “cake salé” (meaning, salty or savory cake). This is a very light and cake-like bread that is perfect as a snack or appetizer paired with wine, beer or any cocktail. Like cake, it is light and airy in texture, but it is rich in flavor from the cheese and herbs. I also enjoyed this herb bread for lunch as avocado toast with lemon thyme and a drizzle of olive oil.

Cheese and Chive Herb Bread recipe

As Dorie recommends, this is a bread recipe to play around with. Use the dough as your foundation and switch up the cheese and herbs as you wish. A traditional cake salé recipe from France uses Emmentaller, Gruyère, or a mixture with Parmesan. She made her recipe with cheddar cheese and chives for a local US inspired loaf. She also recommends other add-in substitutes like nuts, diced ham, olives, pesto and cooked vegetables.

Cheese and Chive Herb Bread recipe

More appetizer ideas:

Crispy Potato Skins- 2 ways

Spinach Artichoke Dip with Bacon

Asparagus with Orange Mayo

Making this cheese and chive herb bread is an amazing sensory treat. Every time I snipped, spread and stirred the chives, their scent came forward like an herbal wave engulfing the dough. Once in the oven, the smell of the baking herb bread filled my house with comforting aromas of melting cheese, bright onions and baking bread.

I love it when I discover something new and it turns out to be a smash hit. This recipe is so easy, I am sure to make it several times and continue to personalize it. I know something is delicious when every 5 minutes my husband and son kept repeating, “Oh, this is soo good. This is really good”. This is no exaggeration. It was all I could do to keep them from eating the whole loaf.

Cheese and Chive Herb Bread recipe

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Cheese and Chive Herb Bread recipe

Cheesy Herb Bread

A savory quick bread filled with cheese and fresh herbs makes for a wonderful snack or appetizer. This pairs exceptionally well served with chilled wine or cold beer. This recipe is adaptable to suit any mood or taste. Cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan or other hard cheeses are great fillers with a variety of fresh herbs. I like chives with lemon thyme, but basil or any combination of herbs will taste great. Anything goes with this bread. The recipe is slightly adapted form Savory Cheddar-Chive Bread by Dorie Greenspan on www.seriouseas.com
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Author Ginger

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup 268 g All-purpose flour
  • 1 TB Baking powder
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp Kosher salt amount of salt depends on the cheese and other add ins
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground white pepper
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1/3 cup 75 ml whole milk, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup 75 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 oz 75 g coarsely grated cheese like Gruyere or cheddar
  • 2 oz 50 g diced cheese like Gruyere or cheddar
  • 1/2 cup 125 ml minced chives or other herbs
  • 1 - 2 TB chopped lemon thyme

Instructions

  1. Set the oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat the oven to 375˚F / 190˚C / Gas Mark 5, and generously butter a loaf pan.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper until evenly combined.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl add the eggs, then whisk until well combined and somewhat frothy. Add the milk and olive oil and whisk together.
  4. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Mix until everything is just combined. You do not want to over work the dough and there is no need for the dough to be thoroughly mixed together. Stir until everything is just mixed, it won't be smooth.
  5. Stir in all the cheese, herbs and any other add ins you have, like chopped walnuts. The dough is thick, but carefully work in the cheese and herbs until evenly distributed. Don't overwork the dough.
  6. Scrape into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The bread is done when it has a golden brown crust, and a cake tester inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
  7. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of your pan and remove the bread from the pan. Cool the loaf on the rack until it is at room temperature.
  8. Best eaten the day it is made, but it will keep for a day, wrapped in plastic wrap and stored on the counter.

 

© 2017 – 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.

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