- Page 38 of 75 - Wholesome Recipes Made for Sharing

June 5, 2015

Rhubarb Apple Baked Donuts

Today is National Donut Day and we are joining in the celebration with these Rhubarb Apple Baked Donuts. Since I’m still pretty new to the food blogging scene, I had never even heard of National Donut Day until Melissa clued me in. (And coincidentally, her blog is also what convinced me to buy a donut pan. Go check out all of her incredible baked donut recipes.) Just for fun, I googled National Donut Day and learned that this has been an official day since 1938 and was created to honor the Salvation Army workers who served donuts to the soldiers during World War I. There you go… your interesting food fact for the day. Anyhow, back to these donuts. I used a combination of white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour to keep the texture light and I sweetened them with coconut sugar and a touch of honey. The rhubarb and apple complement each other well and give these donuts a nice bright flavor. They are sweet, a bit tart, and perfect for this early summer season when rhubarb is plentiful. Happy Donut Day!

Rhubarb Apple Baked Donuts

Yield: 6 regular donuts + 4 donut holes, or 7 regular sized donuts

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup apple juice
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup shredded apple
slightly heaped 1/3 cup finely diced rhubarb
natural cane sugar for finishing

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly butter donut pan.
In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add apple juice, coconut sugar, and honey. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add egg and whisk to egg to incorporate.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined. Do not over mix. Use a rubber spatula to fold in rhubarb and apple.
Pipe the mixture evenly into the donut pan. (I use a small ziploc bag and cut the tip off one corner for piping.)
Bake for 9-10 minutes, until donuts are lightly browned and tops appear dry. Let cool in pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Donuts are best served slightly warm. Dip in natural cane sugar before serving, if desired.

Notes

adapted from The Faux Martha

June 2, 2015

Crackly Crust Mixed Berry Cobbler

We hosted a small Memorial Day gathering with some extended family last weekend and this is the dessert I had planned to make. I tweaked and tested the recipe ahead of time to make sure it would be just the way I wanted. And then because I was trying to clean the house, practice instruments with the kids, set the table, and prep the rest of the meal all at the same time, I sadly botched up the dessert. I inadvertantly added too much butter, left the milk out completely, and while the end result was edible, it was not this. This cobbler (and not the one I ended up making for Memorial Day) has a unique crackly crust which makes this dessert rustic and beautiful at the same time. The secret to the crackly crust is sprinkling with the top with a layer of sugar and then drizzling hot water over the sugar, melting it right before it goes in the oven. The method is a bit odd, but it works. While the cobbler is baking, the sweet biscuit layer develops a thin, delicate, and slightly crunchy crust. The crust will remain crunchy and crackly for about a day. After it has been chilled and refrigerated, it loses a bit of the crunch, although it is still delicious. Serve with ice cream or greek yogurt. I have greek yogurt in the photos here, but Ryan’s vote is for the ice cream.

Crackly Crust Mixed Berry Cobbler

Yield: 6-8

Ingredients

2 pounds mixed berries, about 8 cups (any combination of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
3 tablespoons natural cane sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons natural cane sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 cup hot water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to gently combine the berries, cornstarch or arrowroot, sugar, and lemon juice. Transfer to an 8×8 baking dish.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and 1/2 cup sugar on medium high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix on medium speed until evenly crumbly. With the mixer running on low, gradually pour in milk and beat for another minute, until batter is light and fluffy.
Dollop batter over berry filling and use a knife or offset spatula to gently spread batter evenly over the berries. Sprinkle remaining 3 tablespoons sugar over the batter. Drizzle hot water over the sugar, melting it right before it goes in the oven.
Bake for 70-80 minutes, until golden brown and crackly. Let the cobbler sit for at least 30 minutes to set before serving. Serve with ice cream or greek yogurt.

Notes

adapted from A Boat, A Whale, and A Walrus

May 26, 2015

Summer Italian Orzo Salad with Grilled Marinated Vegetables and Chicken

This post is sponsored by Colavita as part of their Summer Italian Grilling Series. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Right now Colavita is offering all readers of Gather & Dine a $1 coupon off any of their extra virgin olive oils or 15% off in their online store. Visit Colavita to learn more about their extensive product line.

It always feels so good to break out the grill after a long cold winter and this year I’m excited to be kicking off the season with this fresh salad incorporating an abundance of grilled vegetables and chicken. Something almost magical happens to the flavor of vegetables when they’re grilled. They take on a whole new character, and marinating them for just a short time deepens that flavor. Both the vegetables and chicken were marinated in a vinaigrette using Colavita’s Chardonnay White Wine Balsamic Vinegar and Colavita’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil.* The grilled chicken and vegetables are tossed with orzo along with zesty sun-dried tomatoes, peppery arugula, fresh oregano, shaved parmesan, and finished with a drizzle of Colavita’s White Truffle Glace. It’s a bright and stunning summer salad worthy of celebration and with so many colors, textures, and flavors, there is variety with every bite. Bring it to picnics, summer gatherings, or just enjoy for a quiet evening at home with the family. Happy summer grilling!

*I’ve used Colavita products for years and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with them on this recipe. Colavita is a family owned Italian company that delivers high quality olive oils, vinegars, and pastas at affordable prices. I first learned about Colavita when I read a favorable review of their olive oil in “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating.” I’ve been a loyal user ever since.

Summer Italian Orzo Salad with Grilled Marinated Vegetables and Chicken

Ingredients

Marinade

1/2 cup Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Colavita Chardonnay White Wine Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Dressing

4 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Colavita White Truffle Balsamic Glace
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad and Assembly

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
2 small zucchini, about 5 ounces each, quartered lengthwise into spears
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4 inch circles, rings kept together
3 chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 pounds total
1/2 cup Colavita sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
8 ounces Colavita orzo pasta, cooked according to package directions
4-6 cups arugula
1/2 cup shaved parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling on top
extra Colavita White Truffle Balsamic Glace for drizzling, if desired

Instructions

Marinade

In a small bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients together until well combined.
Place chicken in one sealable bag and the vegetables in another. Pour 1/3 of the marinade over the chicken. Seal bag and evenly distribute marinade around chicken. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
Pour the remaining marinade over the vegetables. Seal bag and gently tilt and flip the bag to distribute marinade, being careful not to separate the onion rings. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Salad and Assembly

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken, 8-10 minutes total, flipping halfway. Grill onions and zucchini, 5-6 minutes total, also flipping halfway. Grill the asparagus 2-3 minutes, rotating after a minute or two.
Chop asparagus, zucchini, and onions into 1/2 inch pieces.
Allow chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes after removing from heat. Use two forks to shred chicken into bite size pieces.
While chicken is resting, whisk together the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chopped vegetables, shredded chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and shaved parmesan. Pour dressing over salad and use a wooden spoon to gently mix together. Add arugula and toss to incorporate. Serve immediately with extra parmesan and a drizzle of Colavita White Truffle Balsamic Glace, if desired.

Notes

To prepare ahead of time, assemble everything up until adding the dressing and arugula. Keep the dressing and arugula separate and toss together right before serving.