This is a great sandwich for a light supper. The olive cheese is very flavorful and it balances out with all the vegetables in the sandwich to give it a little punch… and also make it more filling.  I used crab meat, but you can make with sliced chicken or turkey ham.  Lets face it, sandwiches are dull, so if I want to get away with making a sandwich to serve my husband for dinner, I have to try to make it with as many ingredients as I can. Even use seasonings in it.  After a long day you don’t want to sit in front of two pieces of bland bread with ham and mayo, do you? A nice tomato soup would be a great accompaniment for this sandwich.

Pita Bread Sandwich with Olive-Cheese

Serves: 2
A Foodies’ Original Recipe

Ingredients:

2 pita breads
½ cup cream cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Chives, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
10 green olives, chopped
6 Romaine lettuce leaves
1 Tomato, sliced
A few slices of cucumber
Chicken or crab slices
Dried basil leaves and pepper, as seasoning.

Procedure:

1. Slice open the pita bread.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, chives, olives, salt and pepper. (use salt sapringly, remember the olives are salty)
3. Spread this mixture inside both pita bread halves.
4. Arrange lettuce leaves, chicken or crab meat slices, tomato, cucumber.
5. Sprinkle with pepper and basil

Enjoy.

I have to confess, this recipe came out of a craving. I wanted something sweet a friday morning and we ran out of milk This came out surprisingly good. The batter comes out a bit thicker than the regular mix made with milk, but it made it so much better. The Yogurt I used was low fat vanilla flavored yogurt, and the batter came out perfect! You have to let it soak in the mix a bit longer than with the very liquid one, but trust me… it’s worth it!

Yogurt French Toasts
A Foodies’ Kitchen Original
Servings: 4

2 eggs
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
8 slices bread, white or whole weat
strawberries
blueberries
whipped cream

Directions:

1. Whisk yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and spices in large bowl.
2. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Dip bread slices in egg mixture to coat, this will be much more like the consistency of yogurt, so you need to let them sit a few more seconds than with the regular mixture for French Toasts.
4. Add slices to hot skillet. Cook until bottoms are deep brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Turn slices over. Cook until bottoms are deep brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Serve the French Toasts with Strawberries with a little bit of Whipped Cream on the side.

I was probably from the South in a past life. I am a fried food, (Thank God for my father’s genes), cornbread and Alan Jackson lovin’ girl.

I just find this sort of food very comforting. I also really enjoy the French influenced southern cuisines such as Cajun and Creole dishes… This reminds me I have to make Jambalaya again and have my friends over.

But anyway, back to cornbread. I was in the mood for some, I even got the cast iron pan with the little corn on the cob molds to make it, and  I found this recipe at the Martha Stewart site.  It came out great; the added cayenne pepper gives it a hint of heat and a little kick. I would recommend you try these warm from the oven with some herbed butter…or plain butter! These almost didn’t make it through the night; I took some to my neighbors and had the rest with my husband. Oink!

Southern Cornbread (with Cayenne Pepper)

Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 2 1/2 cups batter.
Yields about 24 units, or 12 medium sized units.

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil, for pan
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
1 ½ cup whole milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Procedure:

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a cast-iron pan, and heat in oven, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. Combine milk and egg in a measuring cup. Add to cornmeal mixture, and whisk together. Add melted butter, whisking to incorporate.

2.Fill heated pan with batter until almost full (batter will sizzle when first poured in). Return pan to oven, and bake until dark gold around the edges (time will vary depending on size of pan). I put them in for exactly 20 minutes.

3. Remove from oven, and immediately transfer cornbread from pan to a wire rack. Let cool before serving.

My parents traveled quite much while I was growing up, and during the last 10 years, they both had the pleasure to visit Brazil. One thing that they always brought back with them was an instant mix to bake Pão de Queijo. This is a very chewy cheesy bread, that we all love. Last year, I went to São Paulo for a few days to work, and the supermarket that I went to on my only day to walk around the city, had sold out! I’ve been looking for a recipe to prepare it… I finally found one!

Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
From Simply Recipes
Yield: 24 mini muffins

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups tapioca flour, (yuca flour)
1/2 cup Queso Fresco, grated
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a mini-muffin tin.
2. Put all of the ingredients into a blender (or food processor) and pulse until smooth. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender so that everything gets blended well. At this point you can store the batter in the refrigerator for up to a week.
3. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until all puffy and just lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes.
4. Eat while warm or save to reheat later.

Notes: I’ve tested the recipe several times, and I’ve found that tastes great with Queso Fresco. You can substitute the 1/2 cup of Queso Fresco for 1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese and 1/4 Mozarella Cheese, either way you get a great Pão de Queijo at the end!

I am always looking for ways to sneak vegetables in our everyday cooking, not only so my daughter eats them, but for us too.  This recipe gives us a very tasty and different way to have our spinach.

Spinach Loaf

Adapted from whatsforlunch, honey.com
Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1 bag fresh spinach
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 of a white onion
1 oz butter + a little bit of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4  teaspoon nutmeg
2-4 teaspoons sesame seeds
1/2 + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup luke warm milk
1/2 cup of any cheese you have at hand. It can be parmesan, gruyere, mozzarella.

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven at 350 F. Grease a loaf tin.
2. In a large pan heat the olive oil and 1 oz butter until melted. Add the onion and the spinach and sauté for a couple of minutes, just until the spinach slightly falls together. Add the mushrooms and tomato. Sprinkle salt, pepper and the nutmeg and allow to cook for approx. 5 minutes.
3. Add 1 teaspoon of the sesame seeds to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. In a mixing bowl mix together flour and baking powder. Add the eggs and rigorously beat with a whisk. Drizzle the oil and the warm milk into the batter, beating constantly. Add the grated cheese and fold in. Now add the vegetable/herb mixture to this and mix well.
5. Pour out into the loaf tin, sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and bake for 45-50 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick is inserted into the middle of the cake and it comes out clean.Take out and allow to cool. Take out of the tin and cut thick slices. Enjoy with your favorite spread, or as a side dish.

Edith shared this recipe with me, and be both decided to try it. She used the bread flour that the recipe calls for and I used all-purpose flour. The results were not that different.  She had a more compact solid bread, and mine was a bit crumbly and seemed to be a bit spongier.  The consistency of this bread is not as we expected it to be, like bread.  It doesn’t have the consistency of cake either, but it was delicious. You can add walnuts, or almonds to it if you want. The first picture is my rendition of the bread, made with all-purpose flour and the second one is Edith’s version with bread flour.

Chocolate Bread
Recipe from David Lebovitz
One 9-inch (23 cm) loaf

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (180 ml) whole or low-fat milk, heated until just tepid
1 envelope active dry yeast (1/4 ounce, or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
6 tablespoons (75 g) sugar
4 tablespoons (55 g) butter, salted or unsalted
3 ounces (85 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder (optional)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups (280 g) bread flour
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

3/4 cup (3 1/2 ounces, 90 g) chocolate chips or coarsely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup (70 g) toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the milk. Add one tablespoon (11 g) sugar, then set aside in a warm place for 10 to 15 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface.
2. While the yeast is activating, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and 3 ounces (85 g) chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Once the yeast mixture is frothy, mix in the remaining sugar, the instant coffee (if using), the egg, vanilla, and sea salt.
4. Stir in half the flour and cocoa powder, then the melted butter and chocolate, then the remaining flour mixture, stirring until well-incorporated. If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and beat for five minutes, until smooth. If making by hand, mix vigorously with a flexible spatula for the same amount of time. The dough will seem quite moist, resembling sticky brownie batter when ready.
5. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
6. Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) loaf pan.
7. Stir in the chopped chocolate and nuts, if using. Then use a spatula to fold the dough over on itself in the bowl for about thirty seconds, then transfer it to the buttered pan, pressing a bit to spread it to the corners. Let rise in a warm place for one hour.
8. Ten minutes before you’re ready to bake the bread, preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC.)
9. Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, until it feels done and sounds hollow when you tap it. You can stick an instant-read thermometer in the bottom if you’re unsure; the bread is done when the temperature reads 180ºF (82Cº).

I will never make french toast the way I did before!  The melted butter and brown sugar give these a light crunch with the taste of caramelized sugar, they are not soggy and not too sweet.  They go perfectly with strawberries, or any other berry you prefer.

Caramelized French Toast

Ingredients:

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 1-inch-thick slices white or whole wheat bread
Powdered sugar
Fresh strawberries
Pure maple syrup

Procedure:

1. Mix butter and brown sugar in small bowl to blend. Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, and spices in large bowl to blend.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons brown sugar-butter mixture in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Dip bread slices 1 at a time in egg mixture to coat.
4. Add slices to hot skillet. Cook until bottoms are deep brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Spread remaining butter mixture over bread in skillets.
6. Turn slices over. Cook until bottoms are deep brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Divide French toast among 4 plates. Sift powdered sugar over. Top with strawberries; drizzle with maple syrup.

This is an oldie but goodie. Back in January, a winter saturday morning we wanted something sweet and warm for breakfast. We had a Waffle Maker (DIP-8 Waffle Dippers) just sitting there, so Jake decided to make breakfast. While I went out to get fresh milk and eggs at the store, he finely chopped  about a cup of chocolate kisses. He started preparing the recipe and taking pictures. I guess this was one of the “You and Helga should start a blog” moments that we had going on since last December. So this is one of the early Foodies’ recipes!

Chocolate Waffles
Makes 32 waffle sticks or 16 mid-size waffles

Ingredients:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2  teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups milk
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white (additional egg white)
1 cup of chocolate kisses finely chopped

Procedure:

1. Heat up the waffle iron. Check your waffle iron’s instruction manual to get the most out of it.
2. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.
3. On a different bowl, whisk milk, vegetable oil, egg, egg white and slowly start mixing the dry ingredients together. Add the chopped chocolate kisses and mix once more.
4. Make sure the waffle iron is done preheating, open the lid and pour batter onto the center of the grid and spread the batter using a heat proof spatula about 1/2 or 3/4 inch of the edge of the grid (depends on your waffle iron model).
5. Close lid of waffle iron and about 7-8 minutes (again, depending on your waffle iron) and open the lid carefully and check if the waffles are golden right brown. Remove them from the iron and serve hot!

Note: Waffles are great to make ahead and freeze them up! Just let them cool off and store them on ziplock bags before freezing. To unfreeze just move them from the freezer to the fridge a day ahead and heat them up the toaster.

One of my favorite breakfast classics are pancakes. A good thing about pancakes (and waffles) is that you can make them ahead and either freeze them (up to 6 weeks) or keep them in the fridge (up to 2 weeks).  What I love about  pancakes or waffles is that when you pour the mix onto the griddle, the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg that is released from it, smells so cozy.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes
Adapted from MarthaStewart.com

Yield: About 20-24 regular sized pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups homemade Buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.
2. Heat oven to 175 degrees. Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter or reserved bacon fat onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
3. Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
4. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve warm.

Kitty’s Notes:
You can make variations of the pancakes. For Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes add a tablespoon of natural unsweetened cocoa to the dry ingredient mix on step one. For an extra special touch, add one teaspoon of ground nutmeg and cinnamon. I’ve found that this gives a delicious smell when cooking them. If you use a pizza or cookie pan for the pancakes, they will toast a bit on the bottom, so make sure you use a glass bakeware plate or baking dish.

Pate Brisee (Pie Dough)

Recipe by Martha Stewart
Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Preparation:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.