Keep It Simple Foods » Snacks

Game Day Eats

Jen @ Keepitsimplefoods — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:17:18 +0000

Maybe you’re hosting this year. Or maybe you’re a guest. Either way, you’ll need sustenance to get you through Super Bowl Sunday. It is like six hours long, after all. Allow me to help with your game day menu.

First, start with something light to wake up the palate and tantalize the tummy.

Something like this spicy boiled peanut hummus.

Or this wheat berry and tomato basil salad.

I’m a big fan of this Israeli cous cous salad with oranges, white beans, and mache.

Next, move on to the main course. Hearty, manly, football food.

These spicy black bean burgers are a solid choice.

Apple, apple butter, and brie paninis are sure to please the crowd.

And guests will think these vegan sloppy joes taste just like the real thing.

Wash it all down with some sweet raspberry iced tea.

And move on to the dessert table.

Chocolate éclair cake, anyone?

Or how about a few white chocolate- dipped Oreo truffles?

These ginger and molasses cookies sure look good too!

By now you’ll probably need to undo that top button of your jeans and take a break on the couch. Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Meyer Lemon, Olive Oil, and Cornmeal Snack Cake

Jen @ Keepitsimplefoods — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:37:27 +0000

‘Tis the season for Meyer lemons and so I set out to make a lemon coffee cake. At first, I planned on one infused with rosemary, but all the recipes I found were crazy complicated and time consuming. I don’t have that kind of patience in the morning. So, I got out my mixing bowls and began experimenting by building on recipes I already knew and ingredients I had on hand. Thankfully, I had recently picked up a jar of lemon curd which made this recipe truly sing. For those of you who haven’t tasted lemon curd (please do so!) it is a delicious, creamy, lemony emulsion that is sweet, yet has enough tang to make your jaw tingle when you eat it. Oh yeah.

The result of my culinary efforts could just as easily be called a breakfast cake. In fact, I ate it for breakfast two mornings in a row. The beauty of this recipe is has bright, lemon flavor, but isn’t overly sweet. I also like the added texture from the cornmeal. Oh yeah –the best part- it isn’t complicated or time consuming.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons lemon curd

zest and juice of 1 Meyer lemon

1/3 cup buttermilk (or milk)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs for two minutes. Then, add in the sugar, lemon curd, milk and olive oil. Beat together for another two minutes. Then, slowing add in the flour, baking powder, cornmeal, and salt. Blend until creamy.

Pour the mixture in a buttered or oiled baking dish. I used a pretty pie dish that I received this year as a wedding gift.

Smooth out the top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. At the midway point, cover with parchment so that the top doesn’t get too brown.

Allow to cool slightly. Serve with a dollop of lemon curd and a few lemon slices for a pop of color.

Enjoy this lemon cornmeal cake anytime you like!

Apple, Apple Butter, and Brie Paninis

Jen @ Keepitsimplefoods — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:01:13 +0000

I always enjoy trips to my husband’s family farm. Not only for the fresh air, quiet nights, and cuddly farm animals, but mainly for the good eats. It seems like every time we visit, we feast. This time was no exception. However, this time it was my husband’s father who did the cooking.

He grilled up these apple, apple butter, and brie sandwiches for lunch. I was pleased, for once, that my only job was to photograph- rather than to cook and photograph. (Which can often get tricky!) I was especially pleased with how well these turned out. They were heaven. Hands down the best sandwich I’ve had all year and maybe the best yet. The apple butter was an unexpected addition that made this recipe truly special. It added spice, sweetness, and creaminess that contrasted perfectly with the mild brie and crisp pink lady apples. The simplicity of it made it taste even better. Let me tell you, it was an absolute treat to discover this recipe. I do hope you’ll make it soon.

Ingredients: (makes 6 sandwiches)

2 baguettes sliced lengthwise (multigrain, white, or wheat)

1 pink lady apple (or other sweet apple) cored and sliced paper thin

1 hunk of brie sliced

apple butter

Directions: Smear a generous amount of apple butter on the bottom side of each baguette and layer with the apple slices.

Next, add a layer of sliced brie.

Broil open faced for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese starts to melt. Next, put the sandwiches together and slice into thirds. Then, finish them off on a griddle or in a pan, toasting on each side.

Serve hot and enjoy! These pair well with a steamy cup of soup or some crispy sweet potato chips.

Lightened-up Gingerbread

Jen @ Keepitsimplefoods — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:56:43 +0000

I feel as though I’ve been doing a ton of baking lately. Every weekend, I find myself in the kitchen, up to my elbows in flour, egg, and sugar. Don’t even ask about the state of my favorite apron. I’ve been trying little experiments to make goodies without sugar, or gluten- free, or vegan. But here’s the thing- baking is tough. Each time I begin, I feel like I’m back in 7th grade science lab starting out blindly on an experiment that, somewhere along the way, will manage to go horribly wrong. I never seem to get it quite right.

This gingerbread, however, is an exception. It came out moist, with lots of spice and sweetness. And the recipe is almost vegan (simply sub out the egg for a vegan version). It has very little sugar and oil, so it makes for a healthy breakfast food or snack food. No need to save it for dessert.

Ingredients: (makes 1 loaf)

Adapted from Oh She Glows

1 2/3 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp garam masala (optional)

1 cup of canned sweet potato puree

4 Tablespoons maple syrup

1/3 cup molasses

1 egg (or vegan egg substitute)

3 Tablespoons coconut oil (or canola oil)

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the sweet potato puree, molasses, egg, maple syrup and coconut oil.

Next, combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix will. Then, add in the toasted walnuts and raisins.

Line a loaf pan with a parchment paper and rub with a drop of oil. Pour the gingerbread mixture into the pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until done.

Allow the loaf to cool a bit before removing it from the loaf pan. Unwrap it from the parchment- feels like opening a present!

Slice and smear with cream cheese, butter or jam.

It’s also perfect with a cup of hot coffee. Yum.

English Scones with Raisins

Jen @ Keepitsimplefoods — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:47:02 +0000

Since our recent adventures in London, my husband and I have become shamefully obsessed with British culture. I’m not kidding. I’m watching BBC like it’s my job- Downton Abbey, anyone? (And let’s not forget about Upstairs Downstairs, Bleak House, and Victorian Farm! I’m obsessed.) And I’m always “taking” tea with milk and my husband is even considering a subscription to Country Living magazine- sheesh. Things are getting out of control around here.

But it’s the food I love most. Oh, aren’t English scones just divine? I couldn’t get enough while in London. Tea time was my favorite time of each and every day. I’d eat just a morsel of breakfast and wait all day for that afternoon high tea. And then stuff myself silly. I wish we had such a custom here. There’s something remarkably civilized about pausing in the middle of one’s day to sip a piping cuppa Earl Grey whilst nibbling a fluffy scone. With clotted cream and jam, of course. Although considerably less so when stuffing one’s self silly. In any case, it’s heaven and my absolute favorite thing about our trips to London. I can hardly wait for a return visit!

Ingredients: (makes about a dozen scones)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup milk

1/8 cup buttermilk

1/8 cup sugar

1/3 cup raisins

clotted cream (or butter if you can’t find the cream)

jam

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Next, stir in the raisins.

Kneed dough on a lightly floured surface.

Roll out the dough and use a biscuit cutter (or mouth of a glass or jar) to cut out the scones.

Lay them on parchment paper and brush the tops with buttermilk.

Bake for 10 minutes, until they puff up and turn golden brown.

Next, it’s time to dress the scones.

I was ecstatic to find this jar of clotted cream at Whole Foods. So thick and luscious.

Smear each scone with a hearty scoop of cream and a dollop of good jelly. I used my mother-in-law’s homemade peach jam.

Pair one with a cup of Earl Grey or English Breakfast and you’ll have a jolly good meal.

Crispy Olive Bites

Jen @ Keepitsimplefoods — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:10:53 +0000

Now that we are past Christmas, it’s on to the new year! Hopefully your Christmas was very merry and you’ve recovered enough from your food coma to think about what you’ll be cooking for New Years Eve. Whether you’re hosting or potlucking, these crispy olive bites are easy to cook and carry.

For this recipe, I made a green olive and a black olive version. It seems to me that people tend to like one or the other (personally, I like both) and making two versions is a great way to satisfy all your party guests. Unless, of course, they don’t like olives at all and that’s just too bad for them.

The filling for this recipe can be prepped up to one day in advance.

Ingredients for Green Olive Bites: (makes about 1 dozen bites)

1 cup green olives, drained and chopped

1 Tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can artichoke hearts in water, drained and rough chopped

1 clove of garlic

phyllo dough (one box of dough will suffice for both recipes)

olive oil

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until it forms a sort of paste.

Layer the phyllo dough 2 sheets at a time. Brush lightly with olive oil and cut into 2 inch wide strips.

Put a good spoonful of the olive paste at one end and fold the phyllo into a triangle shape, like folding a flag. Repeat until all the olive paste is used up.

Place on a cookie sheet. Brush tops with a bit more olive oil and bake for 15 minutes until brown and crispy.

Ingredients for Black Olive Bites: (makes about 1 dozen)

1 cup black olives, drained and chopped fine

4 green onions, chopped fine

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

a good bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped fine

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, minced

olive oil

phyllo dough (use the same box of phyllo as above)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to combine all ingredients.

Again, layer the phyllo 2 sheets at a time, brush lightly with olive oil, and cut into 2 inch strips. Spoon filling onto the dough and fold into triangles.

Brush the tops with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes until crispy.

Use extra olives and parsley to make the serving plate colorful, and also to denote which types of olives are inside. If you plan to cook and carry these olive bites, allow to cool completely before wrapping up (otherwise they’ll get soggy).

A tasty, two-bite snack to ring in the new year!

White Chocolate and Peppermint Pretzel Crisps

Jen @ Keepitsimplefoods — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:39:14 +0000

I saw some of these at Whole Foods and decided to make my own at home. Call me Scrooge, but I’m not big on shelling out for easy-to-make snacks like this. I’d rather whip them up in my kitchen.

Plus, this is the perfect treat to make for friends and coworkers this holiday season. In fact, I’m planning to take a bunch of these to my office mates later this week.

Ingredients: (makes about 2 dozen)

2 baking bars of Ghirardelli white chocolate (I find that these melt better than the chips)

1 bag of salted pretzel crisps

1 cup soft peppermint candies

Directions: First, rough chop the peppermint candies. Then, pour them into a food processor and pulse until they are pulverized into tiny bits. Set aside.

Next, over very low heat, gently melt the white chocolate. Then, drop the pretzels in one at a time and coat evenly with chocolate. Transfer to a baking rack. Use a spatula to smooth out any lumps.

Sprinkle the peppermint crumbles over top.

Allow the chocolate to set. Put the whole rack of pretzels in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes.

Once set, serve on a plate with a bit of extra crushed peppermint for garnish. Nibble by the Christmas tree with a cup of egg nog.

Be sure to share with friends and family. Happy holidays!

Pear and Goat Cheese/Apple and Cheddar Hand Pies

Jen @ Keepitsimplefoods — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:40:26 +0000

This is a very exciting post for me (hopefully for you as well) because it contains two recipes. As I mentioned last week, hand pies are one of the latest food trends, gracefully taking their turn in the foodie spotlight. I tend to think of hand pies as a southern comfort food, though I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s all those fried pies you see at highway gas stations. You know what I’m talking about. Those weighty hand pies in the waxed paper wrappers that sit like a brick in your palm. Love those things. Oh, and that first bite through the iced cookie crust into the gooey, gelatinous lemon or cherry or whatever filling you choose. I’m a sucker for lemon and cherry.

But these aren’t quite the same. They’re better.

A bold statement, I know. I couldn’t resist playing the sweetness of the fruit off the creamy, savory cheeses. Like a slice of cheddar on apple pie.

Ingredients: (makes about a dozen hand pies)

For the pear hand pies you’ll need:

3 pears, cored, peeled, and chopped

1 Tablespoon honey

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup goat cheese crumbles

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 flat premade pie crust (the kind that you thaw and roll out)

For the apple hand pies you’ll need:

2 apples, cored, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 flat premade pie crust (same as above)

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Use two separate mixing bowls to make the pie filling. In one bowl, combine the chopped pear, lemon juice, goat cheese, salt, and honey. Mix well.

In the other mixing bowl, combine the apples, cheddar cheese, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well.

Thaw out your premade pie crusts and gently roll out flat. Cut out 6 inch circles in the dough. I used the rim of a pint glass for the stencil.

Add a small spoonful of filling (pear or apple) on each of the dough rounds.

Then, fold the dough over the filling to form a pie. Seal each pie by crimping the edge with a fork.

Slice the top of each pie to release the steam while cooking.

Bake on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes, until the pastry turns golden brown and the filling gets all bubbly.

Allow to cool slightly before using a spatula to remove from the cookie sheet.

Now, place one in your palm and take a big bite! (These don’t weight as much as the gas station kind, but close!)

Don’t these just beg to be eaten curled up by a roaring fire with a cup of hot cider? Um, I think I’ll get right on that. Bye!

Spiced Apple, Red Wine, and Cranberry Turnovers

Jen @ Keepitsimplefoods — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:44:33 +0000

I love the smell of baked apples and spices this time of year. Making these turnovers was an excuse to fill the kitchen with nostalgic, seasonal smells. And to eat crispy, flaky turnovers.

This year, hand pies are all the rage and cake is a thing of the past. I couldn’t be happier about this as I am a fool for pie. Fruit and spices baked into crust- yes, please!

When brainstorming this recipe, I considered using premade pie crust, but opted to go with phyllo dough for more of a turnover, rather than a hand pie. The phyllo is light and flaky and not at all greasy, so you can eat these turnovers without all the mess. Another nice aspect of phyllo dough, is that it’s typically made with vegan ingredients which gives you the option of making these turnovers as a vegan dessert. Simply sub in vegan butter spread where butter is used. You could also add pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts for more bulk, texture and flavor.

I could see these being a great option for a holiday party, something all the guests could enjoy.

Ingredients: (makes about a dozen turnovers)

2 baking apples peeled, cored, and chopped (I used one sweet and one tart)

1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/2 cup raisins

zest of one orange (about 1 Tablespoon)

1/2 cup red wine

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1 package of phyllo dough (I used The Fillo Factory vegan dough found at Whole Foods)

Directions: Mix the fruit, wine, orange zest, and spices in a bowl. Set aside while you prepare the phyllo dough, allowing the mixture to marinate.

Phyllo is paper thin and delicate to work with. Bring it to room temperature prior to handling.

Lay the dough vertically. Set out 2 sheets and brush lightly with melted butter (or vegan butter). Then, place another 2 sheets on top and, again, brush with butter. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into thirds.

Spoon a heaping portion of the fruit mixture onto the bottom portion of each section of dough.

Fold the dough (starting at the fruit end) just like you’d fold an American flag.

You should have a triangle shape, like so.

Place the turnovers on a baking sheet and brush the tops with butter.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Unless you plan to eat them right away, allow the turnovers to cool before removing them from the baking sheet.

Cooling the turnovers ensures they won’t get soggy. Plate them like so.

I love biting through the crispy phyllo to the warm, tender fruit inside. Heaven.

These are sweet enough for dessert, but I am a big fan of eating them for breakfast.

They’re also great hot or cold and won’t last long!

Pumpkin Vanilla Smoothie

Jen @ Keepitsimplefoods — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:48:01 +0000

I think I’ve finally managed to crawl out of my breakfast rut. It took a little effort and more than a few tries in the kitchen, but, thanks to this smoothie, I am once more excited for breakfast! (Who am I kidding?- I can once more tolerate breakfast and that’s saying a lot!) I know a pumpkin smoothie sounds strange, but hey, ‘tis the season for pumpkin. This smoothie is refreshingly light and packed with protein and calcium. I’ll be drinking one everyday until I fall inevitably back into my breakfast rut.

Ingredients: (makes 1 smoothie)

1 small container vanilla Skyr yogurt (or other very thick yogurt)

1 cup sweetened vanilla almond milk

1Tablespoon pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

several cubes of ice

Directions: In a blender, add the yogurt.

Then pour in the sweetened vanilla almond milk. If you prefer using unsweetened, be sure to add some additional sweetener to the mix later.

Next, add the ice and pumpkin pie spice.

Then the pumpkin puree. (Now that I think about it, a banana work be a nice addition too!)

And blend!

Like magic! Pour and serve.

Garnish with an additional dash of pumpkin pie spice (or nutmeg) and a cute straw. Cute straws make everything taste better.