farro risotto with the brinery tempeh, and eating through the pantry

so... what's in your pantry?

if your kitchen is anything like mine, there is a seemingly endless supply of dry goods that haven't made it into the typical rotation of meals. i love having infrequently used ingredients on hand for when inspiration strikes, and folks tend to gift me pantry items for my love of cooking. 

for that reason, we have a healthy supply of unique dry beans, assorted lentils, uncommon grains and mung beans. so many mung beans. sometimes i open the pantry door and can't think anything but "where did all of this stuff come from? when did we buy this?!" 

if your pantry for some totally crazy reason holds the same treasures as mine - you're in for a treat! we're on a mission to eat through the pantry and the freezer before moving (more on that soon!) in just a few short months. how are we going to accomplish that? we've committed to buying nothing but fresh, perishable items. it's time to get creative with what we have, and take advantage of having months of food stored away! so - the blog will be featuring a number of recipes filled with the treasures of my pantry! 

thankfully, the freezer held the joyful bounty of tempeh from the brinery in ann arbor. this, my friends, is leagues beyond any tempeh you've tasted to this day. unpasteurized and traditionally made, both the texture and the flavor are out of this world. if you're in michigan, i HIGHLY recommend you test this tempeh out! 

plus, we have farro coming out of our ears - so here we go, farro tempeh with carrot, kale, and tempeh! 

ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups farro 

3/4 cup white wine 

1 medium yellow onion, diced 

2 medium carrots, diced to about the size of cooked farro 

2 cups chopped kale 

1  8oz package of tempeh, cut into half inch cubes 

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth 

2 tsp dried rubbed sage (or fresh if you have it!) 

4 Tbsp butter 

salt & pepper to taste 

1  1/2 cups grated piave cheese (or parmesan) 

instructions: 

bring 4 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan, add farro, and let simmer for 10 minutes. remove from heat, strain, and set aside. 

heat broth in a saucepan, bringing it just to a simmer and then keeping it warm. 

while the farro is cooking, melt the butter in a large sauté pan with sides at least a few inches high. add the onion and sauté until it starts to brown.  

add the slightly cooked farro, and stir until it is covered with butter. add wine and let simmer, stirring constantly until most of the wine has been absorbed. add salt, pepper, and sage. 

while continuing to stir constantly, add the warm broth about one third cup at a time, not adding more until the previous addition has been completely absorbed. 

once you've added about half the broth, add the carrots and continue the process. 

with two additions of broth remaining, add the tempeh and continue. add the kale with the last addition of broth. 

once you've added all the broth, make sure the farro is cooked through. use more broth if needed until the farro is soft. this should take about 25 minutes from the first addition of broth. 

when cooked, remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted and evenly distributed. 

brownie ice cream sandwiches

i think i may have outdone myself, friends. we all know that i'm addicted to making sweet treats, but every once in a while i make something so rich and decadent it feels like i have taken things one step too far. and by too far, i mostly mean that this treat is not for the faint of heart. it isn't for the dieters or the people lacking a sweet tooth. it's for the die hard dessert lovers! 

or, if you fall in those first camps, just cut your self a mini-slice and call it good : ) 

i've mentioned it before, but i'm in the midst of making treats for my amazing indiegogo supporters. i was open to requests, and some dear friends of mine took it upon themselves to request ice cream sandwiches. this immediately resulted in a giant downward (or really upward) spiral of ideas. while i've sandwiched plenty of ice cream between cookies right before they go into my mouth (see the homemade thin mint & vanilla bean sandwich below), i've never set out to make cookies and ice cream specifically for this purpose. 

the options are basically endless when it comes to ice cream sandwiches, so i quickly reigned myself in to something classic yet totally tied together. that said, this is only the beginning. i have a feeling this is the start of a long line of ice cream sandwich posts. summer is coming! 

here is where i settled: 

the brownies are a simple fudgy brownie with a little bourbon to give them a rich caramel note. the ice cream is a vanilla custard made with brown sugar to give it that same rich note. plus, a little homemade salted caramel is thrown in for good measure (i can't turn down a perfect opportunity to make caramel - it's just too fun!). 

so, dive right in! the recipe might seem a little overwhelming, but each step is pretty simple, with a lot of down time in between. if you're feeling less adventurous or don't have the equipment at home, you can always use store-bought ice cream! but really, why would you want to skimp on these? and you're definitely going to want to make this ice cream again and again and again. 

the brown sugar vanilla ice cream

this is a simple custard ice cream, so if you've made this type of base before - you know the drill! while a custard base may seem intimidating, once you've done it once you'll find the process to be something you can come back to over and over again. and in my opinion, the results are incredibly superior to the alternatives! you got this - i know you do! 

ingredients: 

2 cups whole milk 

2 cups heavy cream 

1 cup loosely packed brown sugar 

3 egg yolks 

1/2 tsp salt 

instructions: 

combine your milk, cream, and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally. you want it to heat to just about a simmer and have all the sugar dissolve. 

while the milk is heating, place your egg yolks in a medium bowl (i like to use a spouted 8 cup measuring bowl with a lid). once the milk is heated through, turn off the heat and pour about half a cup into the yolks, whisking to combine. then add about half of the remaining milk, whisking to combine once more. finally, pour the milk and yolk mixture back into the pot, whisking to combine it with the rest of the milk. 

return the pot to medium-low heat, stirring the mixture constantly until it's ready. knowing when it's ready is probably the trickiest part of making custard, but you'll get the hang of it! the mixture will start to thicken and coat the back of a wooden spoon when it's ready. this generally takes 5-10 minutes on my stove. if your a thermometer type, you want to bring the custard to 170 degrees. the most important thing is to stir it constantly and not overcook it. 

when the custard is ready, pour it back into the bowl and stir in the vanilla and salt. plenty of people will recommend you put that bowl directly into an ice bath... but i'll admit that i'm lazy in that department. i just stir it vigorously for a minute or two while it starts to cool, cover the bowl, and pop it in the fridge. 

let the custard cool for about 4 hours, then churn according to your ice cream maker's directions. when it's fully churned, scoop into a container, cover, and place in the freezer for an hour or two. 

the bourbon fudge brownies 

ingredients: 

5 oz bittersweet chocolate 

2 oz unsweetened chocolate 

8 Tbsp unsalted butter 

1 Tbsp cocoa powder 

3 eggs 

1 1/4 cup cane sugar 

2 tsp vanilla 

1 Tbsp bourbon (i use TC Whiskey Company) 

1/2 tsp salt (i used a vanilla cardamom baking salt) 

1 cup white flour 

1 handful cashews or other nuts (pecans would be great!) 

instructions: 

first, prepare a 9x13 baking dish by spraying lightly with oil, and laying a sling of parchment paper to cover the bottom of the pan and the two long sides. lightly spray the parchment with oil and set aside. 

next, melt both the chocolates and the butter using a double boiler. please don't try this directly in a saucepan - it isn't likely to end well. i just place a pyrex bowl over a pot with a few inches of water in the bottom of the pot. stir the mixture occasionally until it is completely smooth, then remove from heat, whisk in the cocoa powder, and set aside. 

in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, bourbon, and salt until thoroughly combined. add a small amount of the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. add the remaining chocolate in two or three stages, whisking between each addition. 

once all the chocolate is combined, add the flour and gently fold it into the batter using a rubber spatula. stir just until all the flour is incorporated. 

pour batter into prepared baking dish and spread evenly. sprinkle the nuts over as close to half of the batter as possible. bake at 350 (with the rack in the middle/lower part of the oven) for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes in pan. use a butter knife to make sure the short edges aren't stuck to the pan by running it between the brownie and the pan walls. then gently use the parchment sling to lift the brownies from the pan, placing them on a cooling rack to cool completely. 

when cool, cut as close to directly in half as you possibly can (with nuts on one half and none on the other), and place both halves in the freezer until you're ready to use them. the colder they are, the easier the assembly will go! 

the salted caramel 

you've come SO far already! congrats! now we're going to get crazy and caramelize some sugar. it's like magic nutty sweetness heaven (have you figured out that i'm in love with caramel yet?). plus, it takes 15 minutes or less from start to finish. 

ingredients: 

1/2 cup cane sugar 

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp heavy cream 

1 tsp coarse sea salt 

instructions: 

first, put your sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan. i love to use my calphalon chef's pan for this, the even heating is really helpful. you're going to heat the sugar over medium-low heat until it has fully melted, being careful not to burn it. the trickiest part here is not over or under stirring it. stirring too much causes the sugar to clump and makes it hard to melt it fully, stirring to little causes it to burn. i wait until the sugar closest to the pan has started to melt, then gently move it around so the sugar on top can get down to the heat. if you're nervous, you're better off over-stirring as you can strain out any clumps at the end of the process. 

you're ready for the next step when the sugar is completely melted (or melted with a few clumps remaining from your stirring), and smells a little nutty, but not burnt. if it does burn slightly, it isn't a bit deal. burnt caramel is a popular flavor for a reason! 

now, grab a whisk and toss in the butter, whisking vigorously until it starts to combine. keep the heat on while you do this. once it starts to combine with the sugar, pour in the cream and salt, and continue whisking until totally combined. the caramel will be bubbling and boiling up, but you got this. if it gets close to the side of the pan, just lift your pan off the heat and continue stirring.

once everything is combined, pour the caramel through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl and you're all done! you can refrigerate your caramel until you need it. 

assembling your masterpiece 

we're almost there! which means we get to actually eat these beauties soon! 

here's the deal - absolutely most important in this process is making sure to wait until the giant sandwich you're about to build is super cold to cut it. rush and you'll have ice cream spewing out the sides. alright, now i've warned you. on to the instructions! 

place the non-nutty half of your brownies on a cutting board or in the 9x13 dish you baked them in if you want to do as few dishes as possible like me (it just needs to be something you can fit in your freezer relatively flatly). 

spread the caramel in an even layer on the bottom of the nutty brownie half. you can make it a thin layer and save some for later, or use it all for caramel heaven. i used about 2/3, for reference. set this aside. 

your ice cream should be thicker than it was when taken out of the ice cream maker, but still spreadable. if you need to, let it sit out for a bit to soften. when you're ready, spread about a 1 inch layer of ice cream on that bottom brownie half. again, you can make this as thin or thick as you like. either way, you'll probably have some bonus left over ice cream (lucky you!). i used about 2/3 of my ice cream. you want the ice cream close to all the edges, but with a little space to spare. 

now, carefully place the top half caramel-side down on top of the ice cream. give it a gentle even push to bring the pieces together and spread your ice cream to the edges. if needed, use a spoon to scoop away any excess ice cream seeping out the edges (snack-time for you!). now, place the whole thing in the freezer for at least 3 hours, or as long as you like, before cutting into slices. 

when you're ready to serve these up or want to cut and package them for later, you'll need a super sharp serrated bread knife. i cut the big block into 1-2 inch wide strips, then cut each strip into smaller pieces from there. you can put any parts you're not working with in the freezer for safe keeping as the harder the ice cream is while you do this, the easier it will be. when cutting, i found it easiest to try and hold the top brownie in place while cutting through it in a gentle sawing motion. once you're through the top brownie, it's easy peasy! 

if you're keeping them for later, wrap each piece in parchment paper to make it easy to grab just one and place them in a large, air-tight container. 

now, devour those amazing treats - you earned it! 

nutty whole grain power waffles

while pancakes get a lot of the breakfast food spotlight, waffles are one of those things i can't help but come back to over and over again. they have all the fluffy joy of pancakes, with a nice crispy exterior and plenty of little pockets to hold any glorious toppings you want to shower them with! real maple syrup and my vanilla bourbon apricot jam is a favorite! 

plus, we just about always make a big batch for just the two of us and have a whole stack leftover to pop in the freezer. it's adult life, wholesome ingredient eggo waffles - with all the ease of popping them in the toaster oven for a quick weekday breakfast! 

these power waffles (as we like to call them) go above and beyond the normal joy of a waffle breakfast. with a hearty dose of hearty ingredients, there is no shame in this healthy and filling breakfast packed with fiber, protein, and whole grains! even with all that goodness, they still manage to be just as fluffy and satisfying as your typical white flour buttermilk waffle. 

so dig in, and make some extras for the week - go ahead and extend your sunday morning all the way through those pesky weekdays! 

before you get started, a few notes: 

on freezing your waffles - let them cool to room temperature, then stack them up with parchment paper in between each waffle so they don't go sticking together and giving you a headache before your morning cup of coffee. to re-heat, i recommend a toaster oven, but you can slip them in a regular toaster, and rotate halfway through so they are evenly cooked! 

on the nut flour - i love to use roasted hazelnut flour from pressmeister oils in this recipe (because really, healthy hazelnut waffles are just heavenly - no arguing on that note). cristoph is making incredible cold pressed oils here in traverse city (if you're ever in the area, make sure to find him at a local market and taste through his products!). he grinds the waste product from his oils into incredible and versatile nut flours. that said, many of you probably don't have this ingredient at your fingertips, so you can use widely available almond flour, or grind your own flour from whatever nuts you have in the pantry with a high power blender! 

ingredients: 

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour 

1/2 cup white flour 

1 cup hazelnut flour (or another nut flour) 

1/2 cup freshly ground flax seeds 

1 Tbsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt 

3 eggs 

2 cups whole milk 

3 Tbsp melted butter 

instructions: 

combine flours, flax seeds, baking powder & soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. 

whisk together eggs, milk and melted butter in a medium mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup. 

pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk gently until just combined. be careful not to over-mix your batter as it will lead to tougher, less fluffy waffles! 

cook waffles using your waffle maker, placing them directly on the racks of a warm oven as they finish to keep them warm until they're all cooked, without them getting soggy. or jut eat them one by one as they come off the waffle maker, standing in your kitchen. that works best for me when i'm really hungry!