Apple Cinnamon Beer Bread

Apple Cinnamon Beer Bread

I was recovering from the bar exam at my cabin and noticed we had a ton of apples and apple flavored beer. I wanted to do something for my family to apologize for being difficult while I was studying so I decided to make beer bread.  I had previously made beer bread based on a recipe I found Farmgirl Fare and it turned out well. It was a generic recipe so I thought I could adapt it to include the ingredients we had at our cabin, and make a delicious breakfast for my family,




1 (12 oz) bottle of Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat beer
3 cups flour (I used all-purpose)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Nutmeg
1 large Braeburn apple (small chunks)

Top:
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Sugar

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes

The finished product!

Pre-heat the oven to 375º.  Lightly grease a bread pan (the one I used was roughly 8 inches). In a bowl combine the flour, 1 T sugar, 1 T baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 T cinnamon and 2 T nutmeg. When I added the cinnamon and nutmeg, I originally added 1 T, but it appeared to not be enough so I sprinkled in more, roughly another Tablespoon.  When adding the cinnamon and nutmeg aim for the batter to be a light brown color. Mix in the bottle of beer. Finally, mix in the chunked apple. I used Braeburn because that is what I had. Another type (I would consider Granny Smith) would be just as good.

Pour the batter into the greased pan. Then in a separate bowl, combine the 1 T cinnamon and 1 T sugar reserved for the top. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the bread. Bake for 40 minutes. Insert a tooth pick or knife into the middle. When I did this, the bread was still doughy so I baked for an additional 5 minutes.  Let the bread cool in the pan. You may wish to turn the bread on the side to prevent it from collapsing (per advice of my mother). Mix some sugar, cinnamon, and butter together and enjoy! I will be eating this tomorrow for breakfast at the cabin, and my family and I am looking forward to it.


UPDATE: My mom and I had this for breakfast with cinnamon sugar butter and it was amazing. The only thing I would maybe change is adding more apple. I love apple so the more the better. For most people (aka my mom) the amount of apple was fine.

I AM BACK!!

After a two-year hiatus to finish law school I am back with a baking vengeance.  Stay tuned to see what I have cookin'!

Happy Holidays!

I hope you all are having a happy and blessed holiday season full of family, friends, and great food.

Happy Holidays!!!

Tilapia with Tropical Black Beans

Today I just threw a bunch of left overs together and it was actually edible. Caution this meal is for one. I will include what I used, and in parenthesis but in what to use for 4 servings.

Tilapia with Tropical Black Beans
I ended up cutting up the Tilapia 

1 (4) Frozen Tilapia Filet's

1 cup (1 can) Reduced Fat Black beans

1/2 cup (2 cups) Pineapple, chopped

1 (4) Clementines, chopped

1/3 cup (1 cup) sweet peppers, chopped

Sprinkle of cilantro to taste.

Heat the oven to 350˚. Take thawed filet's place in tinfoil. Combine the black beans, chopped pineapple, chopped clementines,  and chopped sweet peppers in a bowl**. Spoon equal parts of the mixture onto the fish. Close the tinfoil, and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then check. I cooked for an additional 5 minutes. This is the best kitchen accident I had in a long time, and I hope you enjoy it! 

** Remember, if you are making 4servings, use the numbers in the parenthesis. Those are my modifications to this recipe, since I made it only for one. **

Bean Soup

It's freezing in Minnesota today! What perfect whether for soup. I made this a few weeks ago in a crock pot. It turned out great and was so easy since I have been swamped with school work and interning. Here is what you need.

1 cup lentils
1 cup black beans
4 cups water
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup mushrooms
1 cup carrots
1 cup corn
5 bay leaves

Combine lentils, black beans, water, broth and bay leaves. Let simmer on low for several hours. If needed feel free to add more water if the soup is thick. I would recommend if you add more make sure it is equal parts water and broth. This would be great with other veggies as well. I just used mushrooms, corn, and carrots since that is what I had at home. If you are daring feel free to experiment with other spices. Cayenne pepper, cumin and chili powder could give this a southwestern kick.

This soup freezes great. I have been having it for lunch and dinner off and on the last few weeks. Hopefully pictures to come. I have been technologically jinxed this week, so trying to avoid anything breakable at all costs!

Low-fat Pumpkin Spice Bars

Pumpkin Spice Bars, so good we devoured the pan.

My mom has always made these. This weekend while up at our cabin we decided to get a jump on fall by making these delicious bars. They are simple to make.

1 box  spice cake mix
1 can pumpkin pie mix
2 cups Powdered sugar

Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of a 13"x9" cake pan. Combine the cake mix and pumpkin. We normally use Betty Crocker Spice Cake mix and Libby's canned pumpkin. But any brand would do. Pour the cake mixture in the pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Use a knife, to see if the center is firm. If it is not put back in for an additional 10 minutes. Essentially, you want to follow the directions on the box. Remove from the oven. Let cool. Once the bars are cool sprinkle with powdered sugar as desired. 

This recipe is versatile. I have modified to make muffins. You can mix in additional items such as raisins, carrots, walnuts, or even apples. This is a great healthy fall dessert that I hope you enjoy!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

These are healthy and still delicious. I found they have quite a kick to them.

2 cups garbanzo beans
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon cayenne powder

Soak the garbanzo beans overnight. Drain, spread out on paper towels, and let the beans dry for about a half an hour. Heat oven to 400°. In a medium size bowl combine the beans, oil, and spices. Spread the mixture out on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Mix the seeds, trying to flip as many as possible. Bake for another 10 minutes. Check the seeds. If needed put in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.

This is a nice pick me up when I am craving something crunchy. If you prefer something not as spicy, the amount of spices could be reduced or substituted. I would also recommend trying this recipe with garlic powder if you want something with less heat. The garbanzo beans have a neutral flavor so any of your favorite spices may be worth a try. The garbanzo bean is your canvas. Happy experimenting!!!



P.S. I will post a picture ASAP.