My Retro Kitchen: fruit

Showing posts with label fruit. Show all posts

Monday, July 23, 2012

Blueberry Quick Bread

This weekend my sister and I gathered the troops and headed up to Vermilion, Ohio to do some blueberry picking at Baumhart Berry Farm. Bonnie had been here once before and raved about it, so this was my first time. What a treasure to find! The aisles are huge, easily accommodating our two large strollers, the bushes are tall enough that you aren't bending over giving yourself a backache and most importantly, the berries are HUGE and sinfully sugar sweet!! I couldn't get over how easy it was to pick them, just grazing your hands over the plump fruits would drop them into your bucket. The kids never tired of the picking and our buckets soon became full. It was a fun afternoon, and even after all our snacking we still came home with more blueberries then one knows what to do with. Don't worry, your tummies will know exactly what to do with them!

Let me help you with this lovely Blueberry Quick Bread. It is overflowing with blueberries in ever single bite. The the bread itself has just the right sweetness and tastes heavenly with some soft butter smeared all over it. Try it with a slice of shaved ham on top. Super yummy!

Blueberry Quick Bread
recipe courtesy allrecipes

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
4 eggs
2 cups cold milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts.

In a small bowl, beat eggs, milk and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Gently fold in blueberries.

Pour into two 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 65-75 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

This recipe is featured on This and That and http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com Linky Party

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Fruit Pulp Muffins

My sister has become completely into juicing. About a month or so ago she bought a Juicer and has been having a blast making up all these amazing fruit and vegetable juices for her whole family to enjoy. A little spinach here, carrots, cantalope, mango, watermelon, kale, apples there.... whatever you happen to pick up at the market, give it a whirl! The skies the limit really.

I myself do not own a juicer. I do like making up smoothies and whatnot in my blender, but that is a bit different. With juicing, it separates the fibrous pulp from the juice, giving you just what is needed for a healthy, balanced, highly nutritious drink. The only thing is that then you are left with all of that beautiful, full of fiber fruit pulp. You don't want to throw it out; it is also incredibly good for you. So what to do? There are lots of recipes out there: salsas, dips, sorbets, even your own fruit leathers. Today Bonnie wanted to share with you all a recipe for Fruit Pulp Muffins. So if you happen to have a juicer or know someone who does- try these out! They taste amazing!!!

Create Your Own Juice Pulp Muffins
recipe courtesy All About Juicing!

Use any combination of fruit pulp you have on hand to make your own muffins. You really can't go wrong!

4 cups of any fruit pulp
1 cup of sesame or olive oil
3 eggs
1 cup of honey
3 cups of whole grain flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp of nutmeg, cinnamon or spice of choice(optional)
1 tsp of vanilla

Mix the fruit pulp with the honey, eggs, vanilla, oil and mix. Add the dry ingredients. Pour into muffin cups or greased muffin tins. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Don't forget to enter for your chance to win a 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to the new local culinary publication "edible Cleveland". Giveaway ends on April 2nd, so hurry!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Oven Roasted Bananas- Traditional and also with Cinnamon and Chocolate

Or how to impress your kids and make your husband fall in love with you all over again. This recipe is so dang easy your children can do it almost entirely on their own (except for needing a smidge of help with the hot oven). It also works as a great summertime campfire trick. They are wonderful plain, in their beautiful perfect banana state. Or my personal favorite, sprinkled with cinnamon, stuffed with chocolate chips and dotted with butter...mmmmmmmm.

These make a lovely dessert, it would even empress guests at a dinner party. But it also works perfectly for a breakfast with a dollop of yogurt, or to curb that mid day sweet tooth. It turns a plain banana into something truly special. It tastes so much like the famous dessert Banana's Foster, but it isn't! A simple banana with nothing else tastes like it is so much more. If you've never tried this recipe before you will be amazed on the lovely flavors it changes into.

Oven Roasted Bananas

Traditional Oven Roasted Banana
1 banana per person (and this is absolutely all you need if you want to go the plain route, which trust me, tastes anything but "plain")

preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place whole banana, as is, uncut on a baking sheet. Place in hot oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the banana peel turns black. That is when you know it is done! Place on a plate and carefully split the peel with a sharp knife and eat with a spoon.

The warmth of the banana paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is heavenly.

Oven Roasted Bananas with Cinnamon and Chocolate

1 banana per person
a sprinkling of cinnamon
a sprinkling of chocolate chips, I used mini above, but large are just as great!
a few small pats of butter, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice banana lengthwise and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and chocolate chips and top with a few pats of butter, if using. Bake for 15 minutes or until banana peel turns black. Carefully remove from oven and eat directly out of the peel with a spoon. Enjoy as is, or serve along side ice cream, yogurt, sprinkle with granola, drizzle with honey or chocolate sauce- whatever your heart desires. After you've had these once, trust me, you will want to try them every way possible!