Wayback Wednesday: Zucchini Bread Throwdown

'Tis the season. For zucchini. If you've been searching for THE best zucchini bread recipe, your search is over. Today, I'm digging into the VB archives and bringing out one of our most popular posts: the Zucchini Bread Throwdown.

America's Test Kitchen vs. Paula Dean

Written by Mama VB, it's a squash-to-squash competition between America's Test Kitchen and Paula Dean.

Who will win? Click here to find out!

Vanilla Bean Blogiversary!

Five years ago today I started this blog. My vision was to create a place where Mr. VB and I could chronicle and share our cooking adventures. Over time, we discovered a love of DIY, decorating, painting and building furniture. And, we've shared it all here. Thanks for reading and being a part of it!

What's a blogiversary without a cake? It's just a blog.

Since we are in the middle of summer, I wanted to make something that incorporated one of the best summer fruits: blackberries. There's a small farm near our apartment that boasts fresh blackberries. I stopped in and got what I think are the largest berries I've seen in my life.

I kind of winged it on the recipe. You'll notice I didn't include any measurements below. It's a trifle -- layering cake, whipped cream, liquor and berries can hardly get messed up without proper measurements. Just use your best judgement. It will be awesome. Trust me.

Summer Blackberry Orange Trifle

Adapted from Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home (Hyperion, 2010)

Ingredients

• Orange pound cake (I used this orange pound cake recipe from Ina Garten)
• Cointreau or other orange liqueur (we had Patron Citronge on hand)
• Juice of 1 orange
• Whipped cream
• 1 cup of fresh blackberries

Instructions

• Cut the cake into cubes and drop 4-5 pieces in a mason jar (or whatever glass serving dish you are using). Drizzle with orange liqueur.
• Then squeeze the juice from the orange, drizzle this over the liqueur-soaked cake.
• Arrange the blackberries over the top of the cake and add some whipped cream.
• Repeat layers until your jar is filled. 
• Try to show restraint long enough to take pics of your lovely creation.
• Make additional jars of trifle for yourself company.

Strawberry Rhubarb Bars

Jam. Pie. Bars. Vodka slushies. Around this time of year when I was growing up, there was always some sort of strawberry rhubarb treat sitting around. I remember going with my Grandma Gloria to a friends house who had rhubarb coming out of her ears. The plant and stalks were big and thick and I would have to pull so hard that eventually when I unearthed it, I would go reeling backwards and fall on my butt.

Now, I waddle that same butt down to the local farmers market. Where it's all cut and trimmed for me. Not quite the same...but, the end result is still pretty damned tasty.

Case in point: Strawberry Rhubarb Bars. The recipe below is from Amandeleine. While there's plenty of strawberry rhubarb bar recipes out there, I chose this one for one reason: she tied them to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. No reason to waste any more time looking for strawberry rhubarb recipes. I can now focus on the vodka slushie ones.

This bar has a pie-like bottom layer. Crumb like topping. And a delicious Greek yogurt/strawberry rhubarb middle layer. The only thing that's missing is some whipped cream or ice cream. And one of those slushies.

 

 

Bahn Mi Turkey Burger

As an avid Food Network watcher, there's been alot of talk of bahn mi's in the last year or so. I had my first taste of this Vietnamese meat-filled sandwich during our trip to Chicago when we stopped by Saigon Sisters. If you've yet to jump on the bandwagon, basically, it's a crispy baguette stuffed with fresh veggies and steamed or slow roasted meats. Definitely not short on flavor.

Source

So, when I ran across this Weight Watchers recipe for Bahn Mi Turkey burgers I knew I wanted to give them a try. Turkey burgers can be a bit bland (and are usually a tough sell for Mr. VB), but these didn't disappoint.

Bahn Mi Turkey Burgers
Courtesy of Weight Watchers

Bahn Mi Turkey Burger

 8 pts.+ per serving

Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray  
1 cup(s) packaged coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)  
1/4 cup(s) English cucumber(s), julienned or sliced super thin  
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice, or to taste  
1/4 tsp kosher salt  
1 pound(s) uncooked 93% lean ground turkey  
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, finely chopped  
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce  
1 Tbsp ginger root, grated or finely chopped  
2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), finely chopped  
4 tsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise  
1 tsp chili sauce, sweet variety  
4 item(s) light, English muffin, toasted

Instructions
Coat a large griddle, outdoor grill rack or stovetop grill pan with cooking spray; preheat to medium-high.

In a medium bowl, combine slaw mix, cucumber, lime juice and salt; toss to coat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, cilantro, soy sauce, ginger and garlic; divide mixture into four balls and then gently press each one into a 4-inch patty.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and chili sauce.

Grill or broil patties until internal temperature of burgers reaches 165°F, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Spread half of each English muffin with 1 1/4 teaspoon chili-mayonnaise; top with a burger, a scant 1/3 cup slaw mixture and a muffin top. Yields 1 burger per serving.

Foiled Again: Portuguese Clambake

The lazy days of summer are approaching. You barely have enough time to cool down every night, let alone cook dinner. What's a gal to do?

Grill it in foil! Food Network Magazine recently had a great insert: 50 Things to Grill in Foil. Our summer meals usually always include potatoes and/or veg in foil...we decided to expand last weekend with a Portuguese Clambake. This couldn't have been more simple. Seriously. It's taking me longer to write this blog post than it did to put this meal together. And, it was way more delicious. Well, maybe not way more.

Portuguese Clambake (we made just half for the two of us)
Toss 2 pounds small clams, 1/2 pound each sliced small potatoes and linguiça or andouille sausage, 8 small rounds corn on the cob, 2 sliced garlic cloves, 1/2 cup beer and a drizzle of olive oil. Divide among 4 foil packets, leaving extra room for the clams to open. Grill over medium-high heat, 25 minutes.

We'll definitely be trying more of the 50 recipes...what are your fave things to put in foil?*

*This is a family-friendly blog...keep it clean.

Wordless Wednesday: VB's First Cooking Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqQ47VmzI2E&feature=youtu.be

Apple Galette

"J'aime la galette, savez-vous comment ? Quand elle est bien faite, avec du beurre dedans."
("I like galette, do you know how? When it is made well, with butter inside.")

Sadly, alot of the fall baking recipes I've been making in the VB kitchen have not made it to the blog. But, I had to draw the line with this galette. How can you not blog about something that has it's own children's song? {see intro}

I totally winged it on this recipe. Which is to say, there really is no recipe. How can you mess up apples, cinnamon, sugar, butter and pie crust? It's pretty hard. I used a premade crust...so prep time was approx. zero minutes.

I peeled and sliced 4 Gala apples. Tossed them in some cinnamon, sugar and flour. Just eyeball it. I promise it will be delicious.

Put some dabs of butter on there for good measure. Fold up the sides of the pastry dough. Brush it with egg whites and sprinkle on more sugar.

Bake at 450 degrees until golden brown. Try not to eat all in one sitting.

Red Velvet Valentine Cake

Mr. VB's birthday falls at a difficult time. With it coming just a few days before Valentine's Day, I always find myself combining the two "holidays." When asked what kind of cake he wanted this year, he said, "Red velvet."

Argh. I've already made red velvet cake...so I wasn't too hot to trot on that idea. Until I saw this cake over at i am baker. Red velvet and a challenge. Sign me up!

Let me warn you, only attempt this cake if you have nothing better to do than bake cakes for 4 hours. Since I fall into that category, it is perfectly acceptable for me try this recipe.

I am not going to give step-by-step instructions for this cake. I need to try this a couple more times before I perfect my technique. Amanda gives much better directions --- so be sure to head on over to her blog.

I will, however, show you step-by-step photos of the process. After baking four round cakes, stack two and two like this (with a healthy layer of frosting in between). 

The toothpick kitchen twine method made it easy to draw a perfect circle on the cakes.

The cut is supposed to be down into a cone shape. As you can tell, mine was more of a flat bottom.

So, I took some of the cake I cut away and filled it back in on the edges, making more of a cone on the bottom.

For the second cake, you want to cut away and leave a pointy peak in the center.

Run a fork through the red velvet cake and crumble it up. Reserve some crumbs if you want to put some on the top of the finished cake. Mix in about a cup of frosting into the remaining crumbs.

Use the frosting/red velvet cake mixture to fill in the holes in the two cakes. Place the cake with the peak on top of the other cake (red velvet filling side down). Frost cake. Decorate top with left over crumbs.

Now,  leave the cake on the edge of the counter. JUST within reach of your dog. Leave the room for a few minutes...

Cut away the portion the dog ate...and reveal the surprise inside! My heart needs some work, but I am happy that it at least slightly resembles a heart. And not a shamrock or something.

I Heart Cookies

Don't get me wrong. I love alot of things. The fall. Breakfast in Bed on Soapnet. Bailey's Chocolate Bar. Opening up the windows in the spring. Curling up each night w/ Mr. VB. My wine bottle opener. This song. Jeff Bridges. My rub-away bar that gets rid of the garlic smell on my hands.

I could go on and on.

Really. I could.

But, I also love cookies. And, these are pretty darn good. Then again -- they do come from Martha and I've never known the lady to make a bad cookie.

Honestly, I don't even know the lady at all. But word gets around.

Heart-Glazed Cornmeal Cookies

From Everyday Foods

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 drops red or pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 400 F. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt.

Cream butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add in egg and 1 tsp vanilla and beat until combined.

With mixer running, add in flour mixture.

Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on lined baking sheet and flatten balls with the bottom of a glass. Press a cookie cutter into the cookie, but don't cut all the way through. Bake until they have golden edges, rotating pans halfway through. They will bake around 12 minutes, but check at 10.

Let cookies cool on wire rack.Whisk together powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and 1 3/4 tsp cold water. Whisk in food coloring. Glaze cookies and let cool.

To keep them super soft, store them in a tin w/ a slice of bread. Preferably a Christmas tin. Which is what I did this week. I think that was the key.

Eat your heart out, Martha!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

It's only recently that I discovered sweet potatoes. Up until now, I've put all of my focus on the yukon.

The russet.

Maybe an occasional fingerling if I was feeling saucy.

All the while, completely ignoring the deliciously sweet sweet potato. No more!

I found this recipe on http://www.skinnytaste.com/. Gina's site is devoted to healthy meals (and all come with Weight Watcher points listed!). Check her out! I'm looking forward to trying many of her recipes this year.

Spicy Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries

• 1 sweet potato, (about 5" long) peeled and cut into 1/4" fries
• 2 tsp olive oil
• sea salt
• ground chipotle chile
• garlic powder 

Preheat oven to 425°. In a medium bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, garlic powder and chipotle chile powder. Spread potatoes on a baking sheet. Avoid crowding so potatoes get crisp. Bake 15 minutes. Turn and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Ovens may vary so keep an eye on them and be sure to cut all the potatoes the same size to ensure even cooking.

Snowed In & a Treat!

It's a snowday here in St. Louis! We got about 8 inches last night. The girls have been having a good time running around...

The chase is on!

Nose in the snow, looking for the treat I tossed out there!

Notice how Marley color coordinates with the fence. Such a fashionista!

A snow day wouldn't be complete without some homemade goodies! I've started Weight Watchers, in an effort to lose a few pounds before our trip in May (don't want to sink the ship!). This recipe for Whole Wheat Brownies comes from Everyday Food and by my calculations is 4 points.

I noticed too late that it calls for unsweetened apple sauce. To cut down on sweetness, I cut the brown sugar to 1/2 cup. They are very cake-like and turned out great!

 

Whole Wheat Brownies

Makes 16

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish; line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

In a large bowl, stir together sugar, applesauce, and egg. Place butter and 6 ounces chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water; stir until melted. Stir chocolate mixture into sugar mixture. Stir in flour mixture. Pour into pan and top with 2 ounces chocolate.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Use parchment to lift cake from pan and cut into 16 squares. (Store in an airtight container, up to 5 days.)

French Toast with Pear-Cranberry Compote

Just like many people out there, getting in shape and losing a couple of lbs is one of my top resolutions for 2011. For that reason alone, I'm glad I was able to squeeze in this french toast during the holidays. 

Heck, for all I know, this french toast is the reason I can't squeeze into my favorite jeans. 

Well, that and the two dozen peanut butter balls I've consumed in the last three weeks.

For the french toast, I recommend the french toast recipe from America's Test Kitchen. I know it can seem like a pain. Drying out the toast. Warming the whole milk. Separating the eggs. But, trust me, it's worth it. Your thighs will thank you in the morning. This time around, we used Texas Toast (not the stuff in the freezer section...it's the thick loaf of bread mixed in with all the others) and it was delightful. The Test Kitchen says just regular ol' Bunny will work too. But, as long as you are going all-out, get some bread that will really soak up all the sinful goodness.

This was my first time making a compote and I tell you what...it doesn't suck. You can make this ahead of time and then just warm it up before you serve it atop your french toast. Or pancakes. Or pork tenderloin. Like I said, this compote does not suck.

For the pear-cranberry compote
(the recipe below is for four people, I halved it and had plenty for Mr. VB and myself)

• 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 4 Bartlett pears, about 1 3/4 lb. total, peeled, cored and each cut into 12 wedges
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar 
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 

To make the compote, in a small saucepan over high heat, bring 1/4 cup water to a boil. Add the cranberries and remove from the heat. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. When the foam subsides, add half of the pear slices, arranging them in a single layer. Cook, without moving them, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully turn the slices over and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl. Melt 1/2 Tbs. of the butter in the pan and repeat to cook the remaining pear slices. 

Return all the pears to the pan along with the cranberries and any remaining soaking liquid. Add the vanilla and the remaining 1/2 Tbs. butter, and sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Gently swirl the pan and stir the fruit to combine, about 1 minute. Transfer the compote to a bowl and cover with aluminum foil until ready to serve.

Top 5 Recipes from 2010

I can't neglect the Vanilla Bean kitchen in my year-end round-ups. So, here is my top five recipes from 2010. I did alot more projects around the house than time in the kitchen...I'll work on that for 2011!

5. I started the summer with big dreams. "I'll write a Burger of the Week series," I said. Well, that lasted about three weeks...four at best. This was one of my faves from the series (can it even be called that?). Mostly because I was contemplating renaming the blog Vanilla Beef. I crack myself up sometimes.

4. I know it is the end of December, but, this little guy is so cute...it makes me puke. I could just gobble him up. If only I didn't have 4 pounds of chocolate sitting in the kitchen.

3. I must have a gazillion recipes for fish tacos -- all sitting unused. I finally took the plunge and made this recipe. It's quick and easy. And tasty.

2. Paella is a favorite in the VB kitchen. It makes a great "date night" dinner. This recipe from Rachael Ray subs pasta in for the rice and it is still to-die-for. You can quote me on that.

1. I know I just mentioned this recipe to you yesterday, but I can't say it enough. If you like scallops, you will love this. If you hate scallops and like candy, you'll still love it. We made this last year for NYE and we'll be having it again this year.

Vanilla Bean Takes on Williams Sonoma

I just got home a few minutes ago to see the latest Williams Sonoma catalog in the mailbox...and what's on the front cover? Peppermint bark!

Then I began to worry. I blogged about this recipe a couple of years ago and gave you a spot-on identical recipe. But, what if my loyal readers didn't know that and went out and spent nearly $30 on the store variety?

I would be devastated.

Ruined!

I immediately ran up here to tell you all about it. So, here I am. Telling you to read this post and make this bark yourself.

Why?

Because it's better than the stuff in the store.

Why is it better?

Because it's made with love.

That's right. I said it. LOVE.

Now, go and tell your friends.

Shepherd's Pie

Chili. Butternut squash soup. Mac & Cheese. Fall is here...and it's time to break out the belly-warming foods! Here's another one to add to the list: Shepherd's Pie. My favorite shepherd's pie is from McGuire's in Destin, Florida. They have a Wild Irish Raspberry Wheat beer that is to die for. It doesn't get much better than 2 for 1 happy hour raspberry wheat beers and a bowl of shepherd's pie.

But, if you're like me, and McGuire's Pub is a good 700 miles away, grab a Schlafly Raspberry Hefeweizen and make this recipe:

Recipe adapted from Family Circle
Ingredients
2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
1 pound of hamburger

1   medium onion, chopped
2   ribs celery, diced
1  cup  baby carrots, sliced
1  cup  chicken broth
2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
2  tablespoons  chopped fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1  cup  frozen peas, thawed
1  pound of potatoes
2/3  cup  milk
2  tablespoons  unsalted butter
1  tablespoon  chopped fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2  teaspoon  salt

Heat oven to 350°.
Boil the potatoes until tender and mashable, about 25 minutes.

For the filling: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery and carrots. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from pan and brown the hamburger. Drain grease from hamburger and toss the meet w/ the veggies.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk broth, flour, salt and pepper. Pour into saucepan with hamburger and veggies and bring to a simmer. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Stir in dill and peas; cook 1 more minute. Pour into a greased baking dish.

Mash potatoes with butter, milk and salt until smooth. Dollop onto filling and gently spread to dish edges.
Transfer to oven and bake at 350° for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Cool slightly before serving.

Double Apple Bundt Cake

A couple of weeks ago, I made Jeff drive an hour to go apple picking with me. We picked about 10 apples. Looking  back, it would have been much easier just to run to the market for such a small quantity...but what fun is that? None. And, the grocery store doesn't sell funnel cake. Just one of the many bonuses to picking your own apples.

This was Jeff's favorite apple that he picked all day. I was surprised as you that he had a favorite apple.

Here he is walking amongst the apple trees....Look! I think he spotted another one!

I decided to turn to my good friend, Dorie Greenspan, for a recipe. This recipe produces a moist, delicious cake. Just one bit of advice: don't forget to butter your bundt. I'm thinking of having t-shirts printed.

Double Apple Bundt Cake
Dorie Greenspan

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup store-bought apple butter, spiced or plain
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and grated
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (I toasted them, also)
For the caramel glaze:
1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 350º F. Butter and flour a 9-10 inch bundt pan. Don’t place pan on a baking sheet; you want the oven’s heat to circulate through the bundt’s inner tube.

Whisk together the dry ingredients, flour through salt.

Working with stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed, scraping the bowl as needed, for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth, thick, and pale. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition; you’ll have a light, fluffy batter. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the apple butter – don’t worry if it curdles the batter. Still on low, add the grated apples and mix to completely blend. Add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the nuts and raisins. Turn the batter into the bundt pan and smooth the top of the batter with the spatula.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. (This took a little longer in my oven.) Transfer the cake to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding and frosting with caramel glaze. Cool completely before serving. Greenspan says cake is better if allowed to ripen for one day.

To make glaze: Bring butter, sugar, and milk to boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over hot cake. This really runs so put strips of wax paper under the edges of the cake.

Editor's Note: I didn't make the glaze. As you can see from the photo below, in my case, I don't think the glaze really would have helped my situation.