Brownies with Cream Cheese Swirl and Chia Seeds

Nov 21, 2011 by

Brownies with Cream Cheese and Chia Seeds

It’s been a while since I’ve baked something new and different. For the past little while, I’ve been baking things I know my friends and family love  like Ginger Carrot Bread or Apple Raisin Mini Muffins. After watching an episode of my favourite cooking show Everyday Food, I knew I had to try this recipe – especially since I don’t remember ever making Brownies before. (Seriously. No joke.) I wanted to put a slight twist on it by throwing in some Chia Seeds to see how it would come out. I wondered how different it would have come out if I had soaked the seeds first, but I guess I’ll find out the next time I make it. That way I’ll see which way worked out better. All in all, it was tasty. And the kids ate it. Yes! I got some fiber into them! 😀

 

For those who haven’t heard about Chia Seeds – you’ll be happy to know that it’s in the Superfood category! They are an amazing source of: Protein, Calcium, Potassium, Iron, Omega 3 and Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids. These are just a few of the wonderful benefits that Chia Seeds offer. Don’t you think you should try it, if you haven’t already?

 

Ingredients:

 

8 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 Stick Butter
Cream Cheese Mixture:
4 Ounces Cream Cheese at room temperature (I used reduced fat)
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Egg at room temperature
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Unbleached All Purpose Flour
Dry Mixture:
1 Cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Cup Sugar
3 Large Eggs at room temperature
1/8 Cup Chia Seeds

 

Preparation:

 

Pre-heat oven to 35o degrees.

 

Using a double broiler (heat-resistant glass bowl over simmering water) add stick of butter and semi-sweet chocolate. Allow to melt gently.

 

In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, butter, egg, sugar and flour. Mix until smooth and combined.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients – flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
Remove melted chocolate from heat. Stir gently to ensure butter and chocolate are combined. Add sugar and 3 eggs. Add the dry ingredients.  Mix gently until flour is incorporated.

 

You’ll  need a 9-inch baking pan. Grease the pan using cooking spray. Using 2 pieces of wax paper, layer in the pan in the form of a cross (one vertical, the other horizontal), spraying between layers, and finally spraying the top.

 

Pour most of the batter into the baking pan. Place small portions of the cream cheese mixture randomly on top. In the spaces, put the rest of the chocolate mixture.  Using a sharp knife, make a pattern using a continuous line from one end of the pan to the other (lets say, from left to right), about 2 inches apart until you get to the bottom. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Use the wax paper to help lift the brownie out of the pan. The extra greasing should help it slide out nicely. When cooled, cut into squares. Serve and enjoy!

 

And there you have it! Easy does it. Although I liked how this turned out, I think I will try it again with soaked Chia Seeds as the raw ones gave a bit of a crunch. Perhaps I am the first to come up with a “crunchy brownie.” 😀
Until next time~ take care of you!

 

Lyn
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Almost Lasagna

Oct 31, 2011 by

 

There are some days when I am willing to make Lasagna, and there are days when I wonder why go through all the layering. Don’t get me wrong, we love lasagna. It’s a beautiful thing. This is a recipe that happened one day when I started to make lasagna but never quite made it. You just never know how things will turn out  in my kitchen. This was a great meal!

Almost Lasagna
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 5
Ingredients
  • 1½ lbs Lean ground turkey or ground beef
  • 1 Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 2 Cups Baby Spinach
  • 1 Cup Healthy Choice Garlic Lovers Pasta Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • ¼ Cup Chicken Broth
Instructions
  1. In a medium dutch oven, over medium high heat, brown onion and garlic in olive oil (10 minutes).
  2. Add meat and cook until browned (10 minutes).
  3. Add Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper.
  4. Add Tomato Sauce and stir to combine.
  5. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add a little chicken broth.
  6. Simmer to desired consistency. Add additional salt and pepper if needed.
  7. When you are satisfied with the consistency, remove from heat.
  8. Add spinach, stir.
  9. Serve over a bed of pasta tossed in olive oil and parmesan cheese.

 

 

Add colourful veggies. Serve and enjoy!

 

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Ginger Carrot Bread

Sep 20, 2011 by

When I saw this recipe I just had to try it. An easy way to utilize carrot juice without having to juice dozens of carrots! Its already a winner in my book. I was very impressed with the bright colour as well as the texture of the bread. I found it quite tasty and of course, my mini food tasters gave it their seal of approval.

I found some natural (no preservatives added) carrot juice in the supermarket so I decided to try it not only with the recipe, but also to incorporate it into our diet. Eventually I’ll get into juicing, but for now, this is a great healthy addition to my baking.

 

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Ginger Carrot Bread

Ingredients

  • Dry Ingredients:
  • 1 Cup Unbleached Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Wholewheat Flour
  • 3/4 Tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 2 Tsp Baking Powder
  • Wet Ingredients:
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Tsp Vanilla
  • 1 Cup Carrot Juice
  • 3/4 Cup Sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350F
  2. Whisk dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl. In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients until combined. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until combined and smooth. Do not over mix as this will cause the bread to be tough.
  3. Grease an 8.5inch X 4.5inch loaf pan. Pour batter into the pan. There should be about 3/4 of batter in the pan. If there is more than that, it might spill over. Bake for 40-50 minutes.
https://lovelypantry.com/2011/09/ginger-carrot-bread/

This Ginger Carrot Bread recipe has been a certified hit and its always a pleasure to make it and share with family and friends. The gorgeous, striking colour is always a topic for discussion!

 

 Enjoy!

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Chocolate Oatmeal Banana Bites

Jul 28, 2011 by

 

You’ll hear me say quite often, that I love different. When I came across this recipe on Marmande In The Kitchen‘s blog, I knew I had to try it. I’m always looking for neat little treats for my family that tastes great and won’t harm them in the long run. Believe it or not, these little bites have no Eggs, Butter, Flour or sugar – which are basics in making baked items. Now, I did make some changes but it tasted awesome just the same. The original recipe called for Coconut Oil so I will try to use it when I make it the next time. Oh and guess what? I made my own Almond Meal! You should try it! Really!

As always, I used what I had available. I had some Sliced Almonds, so I put it in my Magic Bullet for a few pulses until I achieved the desired result and quantity. I had dark chocolate chips in the pantry. I did try the frosting, and it was great but I felt that the bites were good enough on their own. So here’s my amended recipe:

 

Ingredients:

3 Large, very ripe bananas, mashed

1 Tsp vanilla extract

¼ Cup Olive Oil

2 Cup Rolled Oats

2/3 Cup Almond Meal

½ Tsp Cinnamon

½ Tsp Allspice

½ Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Baking Powder

2/3 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 24 hole mini muffin pan.

Mix to combine, the bananas, vanilla, and olive oil in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, almond meal, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips and stir until just combined.  The dough will be fairly loose and wet.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin tray and bake for about 15 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a cookie rack. If you can wait that long.

 

Enjoy!

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Blueberry Muffins

Jul 18, 2011 by

My children are aware that I can cook and bake so it does not surprise me anymore when they request (or demand) that I make something for them. Not buy. Make. Blueberry muffins were requested of me this time. I grabbed my Cupcakes & Muffin Recipe Book and got to work. I love that the recipes are simple and that I have so many to choose from – 200, in fact. This is actually a condensed version of the book. The larger book had 1000.  They tasted great and as usual, disappeared overnight.

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled

2 Cups All Purpose, Unbleached Flour

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

A Pinch of salt

1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar

1 Cup Blueberries (I used fresh, but you could use frozen too)

2 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

 

Directions:

I recently purchased a muffin tray with square compartments instead of the traditional circles so I was happy to use it. I like different.

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 12 hole muffin pan. Sift together flour,  baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and blueberries.

Place eggs in a large bowl and beat lightly, then beat in the milk, oil, vanilla and lemon rind. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten ingredients. Stir until just combined – do not overmix! This will cause the muffins to have a very firm texture. Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, divided evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Enjoy!

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