Olive Oil for Dessert? A Recipe for Olive Oil Cake with Cherry Topping

Gluten Free Olive Oil Cake with Cherry Topping

 Growing up my mother used a lot of olive oil. Pesto was one of her favorite dishes and I loved the smell and taste of the basil and olive oil together. She did use vegetable oil for some of her baking and recipes, but olive oil was always her favorite. As I got older I thought it was funny that suddenly olive oil became all the rage with foodies. I never realized that it wasn't popular since my mother loved shopping the Italian grocery stores back home and it was always a staple on our table. Now that I bake and cook for my family I have come to realize that not everyone buys the giant size of olive oil at the big box stores and uses it quicker than I am willing to admit. There are few things that compare to a simple dish with the right amount of extra virgin olive oil. Especially in the summer, it just seems natural. While many people know about cooking with olive oil, my mother introduced me to the idea of baking with it as well. It is a great substitute for butter or vegetable oil in many recipes and adds a nice buttery taste to cakes. Today I tried a new recipe for Olive Oil Cake from the July 2013 issue of Food and Wine magazine.

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes 50 minutes of total time, 20 minutes of which is active and makes 12 servings. I did make a number of significant changes to the original recipe. First since I eat gluten free I used a combination of almond meal (flour) and potato starch. I used 3/4 of a cup of potato starch and 1 cup of almond flour. I didn't have whole milk, so I substituted half and half. For the zest I used 1 lemon since I wasn't sure if my kids would be fans of a strong lemon flavor. Finally, I made a topping that the original recipe did not include. I have had frozen cherries in my freezer for a couple of months and I figured that they would be a great accompaniment to the cake. Instead of adding vanilla like the recipe I followed stated I substituted almond extract. There is something about cherries that screams almond extract to me.

Baking gluten free can oftentimes be very hit or miss, so I wasn't sure what to expect with this recipe. I was happy when it came out and it had actually risen like a regular wheat flour cake and the crust was nicely browned. My two boys really loved the cake and have already eaten half of it by the time I am writing this. This cake would be great either as written or gluten free and is a nice way to bake with olive oil.

For the recipes go to Olive Oil Cake and Cherry Topping.

Coming Out From Behind the Camera: My Review is in the June Issue of All You Magazine

Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Cherries

Ever since I started this blog there has been one question that I get asked the most. It's not about food. I get emails, tweets, facebook posts about why I don't include a photo of myself on my blog. With my kids it's a matter of privacy, I am very protective of their online identity. With myself it's more of wanting a focus on the recipes and food. However, the longer that I have been blogging the more I realize that eventually I will have to come out from behind the camera. So with that in mind, you can find a picture of me in the current June issue of All You magazine.

As you all know I review magazine, cookbook and online recipes. All You has started a section high-lighting readers that have tried their recipes and a few question and answers about the results. I was flattered to be approached to be the first person for this section. If you look on page 9 you will see my review of All You's Slow-Cooker Pork Loin with Cherries (you can read my original review here). It really is a great recipe and one that I loved making. The section also includes a photo of me and a photo I took of the dish. No more hiding behind the camera.

My husband's only comment about the mention was that everyone is going to think that I'm 42 since my age states that I am 35. I promise I really am 35, but I guess I should start telling everyone that I'm 27. Only problem is that I don't think anyone would believe me!

Recipe for Sour Cherry Rice Pudding

Sour Cherry Rice Pudding

I love to read. Growing up my mother never watched TV, instead she spent all of her free time curled up on the side of the couch with a book. It was thanks to her that I read War and Peace in middle school. She always expected me to read for joy, not grade level and challenged me to read everything I could get my hands on. In college I already had a major when on a whim I decided to tack on a second major, English Literature. This love of reading has followed me to the current day when I have been known to stay up all night finishing a great book. Most of you also know that I love to cook. Cookbooks and food magazines are always all over my house. There is something great about finding a new recipe to try and scouring through pages to find the perfect fit for dinner. Slow cooker recipes are some of my favorites and last week I tried a new recipe for Sour Cherry Rice Pudding from the June 2013 issue of Family Circle magazine.

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes 6 hours and 35 minutes of total time, 10 minutes of which is active and makes 4 servings. I did make changes to the original recipe. First since I have a larger crock-pot I doubled the recipe. I used fat free evaporated milk and 100 percent cherry juice for the ingredients. For whatever reason my crock-pot never works with rice pudding on low. Instead I decreased the time and cooked the recipe on high for a little under 3 hours. After the pudding has sat to cool it will need to be fluffed back up and you can add more evaporated milk if necessary.

Using fat free evaporated milk worked well in this recipe and I like that there is 11 grams of protein per serving. My kids ate their servings with homemade whipped cream, which was a nice combination. If you want a richer pudding this would be delicious with shaved dark chocolate on top.

For the recipe go to Sour Cherry Rice Pudding.

Recipe for Lighter Chocolate Cherry Muffins

Gluten Free Lighter Cherry and Dark Chocolate Muffins

The hardest thing for me after I stopped eating gluten was the lack of snacks. Most store bought gluten free snacks taste similar to cardboard and still cost an arm and a leg. After trying every type of snack that I could eat at the store I finally gave up and started cooking all my snacks from scratch. Cooking gluten free from scratch proved to be more difficult than I thought it would be. The type of flour and the amount of leavening ingredients can have a great impact on the outcome of the food. This week I tried a new recipe for gluten free Lighter Chocolate Cherry Muffins from Everyday Food magazine.

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes 40 minutes of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 12 servings. I did make a number of modifications to the original recipe. First the original recipe was not gluten free. I ended up making two versions of this recipe, one with gluten for the rest of my family and another batch gluten free for myself. For the gluten free version I used gluten free Bisquick. My baking time was longer than the recipe stated, by approximately 5 minutes. The gluten free version actually rose better and came out lighter than the gluten version. I think the regular version needed 1/2 cup more baking mix than the original recipe used.

These muffins taste a little bit sweet, but not anything like a cupcake. If you are looking for a sweet muffin, this recipe wouldn't fit your needs. The muffins turned out light with a hint of sweetness from the cherries and chocolate chips. I liked that the muffins weren't overly sweet so they were perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee.

For the recipe go to Lighter Chocolate Cherry Muffins.

Delicious Vegan Oatmeal Dried Cherry Cookies

I love cookies. There have been very few cookies that I have ever eaten that I haven't had more than one. Cookies just cry out to be eaten by me. However, as I have gotten older I have began to understand that my metabolism isn't what it used to be. I also have made efforts to eat as healthy as I can to prevent the health problems that my mother and grandmother had. In order to still be able to eat cookies, while thinking of my health I have learned ways to modify recipes. One great way to reduce the bad fats is to replace butter with olive or canola oil. I also replace granulated sugar with honey, molasses, sorghum or agave. It is a great way to increase the healthy qualities in baked goods. Today I tried a new recipe for Vegan Oatmeal Dried Cherry Cookies that I received in a pamphlet in the mail.

This recipe has 10 ingredients. It takes 15 minutes of total time, 5 minutes of which is active and makes 25 cookies. I made significant changes to this recipe. First instead of using granulated sugar I used sorghum. Additionally since I eat gluten free I replaced the whole wheat flour with brown rice flour. I didn't have chocolate chips in my pantry so I used dried cherries instead. Finally, I found my baking time to be much longer than the ten minutes suggested by the recipe. I would suggest adding an additional 5 minutes to fully brown. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I wasn't sure what my kids would think of gluten free vegan cookies. They loved them though and ate almost the entire batch by themselves. My husband was an even bigger surprise since he loved the cookies almost as much as my kids. These cookies were definitely popular in my house and I love that they are made without granulated sugar and use canola oil instead of butter. This is a recipe that I will make again and try new options, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips etc.

For the recipe go to Chewy Oatmeal Cookies.

Slow-Cooker Pork Loin with Cherries

There are certain foods that I associate with events or periods of my life. My mother made the best peanut noodles and every year on my birthday I would request them. She had made-up the recipe herself and to this day it is one of my favorite foods. Since she has been gone for almost 7 years now I am sad to say that I haven't made the recipe in years. Every year on my birthday I tell myself that I am going to make them, and then I don't. I think it's a combination of things. Cooking her dish without her just isn't the same and I now associate the food so much with my birthday that I savor the memory as much as the food. I do this a lot with foods. The memory associated with the food is oftentimes as strong if not stronger than the food itself. Now that I have my own kids I hope that I am making memories with my two boys that they will associate with me. We cook frequently together. I find the memories of cooking with my mother some of the best food memories I have. My food memories aren't just isolated to my mother however. I always associate eating oysters on the half shell with my father. I took him on a number of trips and we always ate at seafood restaurants. He would never order anything that he thought was too much money (I paid for everything on the trips). However, one time I insisted he order oysters and he loved them. He still talks about the oysters and the trip as if they are intertwined in his collective memory. I also smile since they are a vivid part of my memory as well. Hopefully my kids will have similar shared food memories with me. Now that I have remembered why I love food so much, on to the recipe. Yesterday I tried a new recipe for Pork Loin with Cherries from the January issue of All You magazine.

This recipe has 8 ingredients. It takes 4 hours and 25 minutes of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 8 servings. I did make a few modifications to the recipe. Since it is the time of the year when Christmas foods go on clearance, instead of cherry juice I used the sparkling cherry juice I found on closeout. The sparkling juice in addition to cherry juice also had pear and apple juice which made a nice fruity taste to the sauce. I have never been able to find a 3 1/2 pound pork loin in my area so I bought a 6 pound roast and cut it to the right size. The recipe states not to use sour cherry preserves. However, the only preserves I was able to find used tart cherries so I used it and it worked very well. Make sure to adequately brown the pork before placing it in the crock-pot. I really does keep in the juices and creates a tender roast. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

When the pork loin came out of the crock-pot I was worried. It looked almost like boiled pork loin and I was worried that the taste would be mediocre. I was very pleasantly surprised by what a difference the cherry sauce made. The cherry sauce was delicious and made the entire dish.  It was so good that my four-year-old thought that I should make him a peanut butter sandwich with the cherry sauce. I didn't make the sandwich, but I did have seconds of the sauce over mashed potatoes. The sauce really is the star of the recipe.

For the recipe go to Pork Loin with Cherries.

Quinoa-Pumpkin Seed Granola

My normally good eating habits haven't been so great since Thanksgiving. The holidays seem to have gotten to me this year and my food choices have gone down hill. Don't get me wrong I still have cooked from scratch and enjoyed healthy dinners, but I have snacked more than usual and eaten more sugar. Luckily I haven't gained any weight, but I feel less than my normal self so I know that it's time to get back on track. One of the major things that I haven't been doing well with the last couple of months is breakfast. I have been good about eating breakfast since I had low potassium last winter. However, since Thanksgiving I have been skipping breakfast or not eating enough protein in the morning. This weekend I decided to get back on track and made some healthy snacks for the week. One of the new recipes I tried was for Quinoa-Pumpkin Seed Granola from the January issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes 50 minutes of total time, 20 minutes of which is active and makes 13 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store. I chose to use dried cherries for the dried fruit called for in the recipe. The recipe states to stir the mixture twice, but I forgot one of the stirs, so I only did a total of one stir half-way through the baking time. I kept my granola in larger pieces since I was going to eat it as a snack instead of with milk. I think I prefer the large chunks like I made. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

My husband and I really enjoyed this granola. The quinoa was great, I loved how it was crunchy and the whole almonds were delicious. The cranberries provided a nice sweet contrast to the crunchiness of the nuts. My husband thought that it would be even better for adults with a small amount of cayenne pepper to have a sweet/spicy combination.

For the recipe go to Quinoa-Pumpkin Seed Granola. (registration required)

Oatmeal Brulee with Ginger Cream

As I have discussed many times before, breakfast is the meal I struggle with the most. My natural tendency in the morning is to grab a cup of coffee and nothing else until the middle of the afternoon. The men in my house on the other hand wake-up very hungry. My two boys pop out of bed in the morning and want food right away. If I take more than 5 minutes, they start following me around asking why I haven't started their breakfast. Since my husband leaves for work at 6 in the morning I try to make sure that the meals I make for breakfast are quick and easy. I really don't have the energy to go full out at 6:30. However, on weekends I like to take the time to make a more labor and time intensive breakfast. Weekend breakfasts allow my family to talk about what has happened during the week and be together. This weekend I tried a new recipe for Oatmeal Brulee with Ginger Cream from the December/January issue of Taste of Home magazine, which looked delicious and perfect for fall.

This recipe has 15 ingredients. It takes 40 minutes of total time, 30 minutes of which is active, and makes 4 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store. Since I eat gluten-free I used gluten-free oats, however, regular oats would work just as well for people who can eat gluten. I haven't seen fresh raspberries in months so I bought frozen. The broiler on my oven has been broken for years so I used the broiler on my toaster oven. My total broiling time was longer since I used this method, about 15 minutes total. Instead of using butter to grease my ramekins, I used non-stick spray. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I loved this recipe. The ginger cream was delicious and the crusty sugar topping was very popular with my two kids. Plus, the time was reasonable for a weekend meal and the oatmeal was perfect with hard boiled eggs for breakfast. This is definitely a recipe I would make again.

For the recipe go to Oatmeal Brulee with Ginger Cream.

Sweet Whole-Wheat Couscous with Dried Blueberries and Almonds

With my oldest son starting school in two weeks I am dreading the daily breakfast struggle. My son is great about getting up and taking a shower, but horrible when it comes to his breakfast habits. He will waste a ton of time not eating and then minutes before we have to walk out the door want to have something to eat. It can be very frustrating. This summer I have been working on making quick and easy breakfasts in the morning to keep my two boys happy and full. While they would be happy with eating pancakes every morning, I have been trying to introduce more whole-grains and protein into their diet and breakfast provides the perfect opportunity. This weekend I tried a new recipe for Sweet Whole-Wheat Couscous from Parents magazine.

This recipe has 7 ingredients. It takes 20 minutes of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 3 cups. I did make a few modifications. My two boys aren't big fans of shredded orange peel so I left it out of the recipe. For the milk I used vanilla flavored almond milk, my boys prefer almond milk over soy so I prefer using it for drinking and baking. In addition to the dried cherries I also added dried blueberries sprinkled on top. I love just about any type of dried fruit and add it to a variety of breakfast foods. The leftovers re-heated very easily in the microwave the next morning so don't worry if you don't eat everything in one sitting. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

My husband and I really liked this recipe. I liked that it has a great taste and uses whole-wheat couscous which I was recently able to find at my local farmer's market. My two boys were a little more skeptical. They picked around their bowls, finally trying their servings. I wasn't sure if they would finish their bowls so I was surprised when my youngest ate his whole bowl and and then half of mine. Overall, this recipe is a great way to get protein and fiber into your diet and was very child friendly.

For the recipe go to Sweet Whole-Wheat Couscous.

Chili-Toasted Pecans with Dried Cherries

I have never been a big fan of nuts. I can tolerate hazelnuts and almonds, but just about every other nut I could leave well enough alone. However, I they are a great source of protein and a perfect snack for my two growing boys so I have been trying to find recipes to incorporate more nuts into my family's diet. I came across a recipe for Chili-Toasted Pecans with Dried Cherries, which looked like a perfect way to encourage my family to eat more nuts. The recipe is as follows:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
• 2 cups pecans (the recipe called for halves, but I used pieces)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 cup dried cherries (or a combo of raisins and dried raisins)

Combine oil and hot pepper sauce, add pecans, toss. In another bowl combine chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano. Add mixture to pecans. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Stir in cherries. Store in an air tight container.

My husband and I loved this recipe. I normally am not a fan of pecans, but when combined with the spices and cherries, the combination is delicious. My two boys were unsure of these nuts until they tried them, and then ate multiple servings. A great, easy nut recipe.

Adapted from a special insert of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Martha Stewart Living Sour Cherry and Rosemary Focaccia

Growing up in Washington state I ate a lot of various berries growing up. I loved the summer season when my mom would take me to pick blackberries and cherries would be on sale everywhere. When I moved to West Virginia I was taken aback by how much more expensive fruit is during the summer and didn't buy it for a number of years. Now that I have kids, I have been trying to introduce them to as many fruits and vegetables as I can, so I have been making more of an effort to buy fruit and vegetables when they are in season. Recently, Martha Stewart Living magazine had a recipe for Sour Cherry and Rosemary Focaccia, which looked perfect to utilize fresh cherries and herbs.

This recipe has eight ingredients and takes 6 hours and ten minutes to prep and bake. I did make a major modification to the recipe, I used sweet cherries, not sour cherries. Honestly, I have never seen fresh sour cherries around here, so I used what I had available locally. The dough is pretty sticky during the first few kneads, but I resisted adding a lot of flour and only added enough so my hands didn't completely stick. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I haven't made focaccia in about 10 years, so I wasn't sure how this bread would turn out, but it was perfect. I was very pleased with how the bread tasted and it looked great. My five-year-old fell in love with this bread and ate almost half the loaf by himself. My husband and I loved how airy and light the focaccia turned out, it was well worth the 6 hours of work. This recipe is a great way to use fresh cherries and made a truly delicious bread.

For the recipe go to Martha Stewart Living Sour Cherry and Rosemary Focaccia.