Heights Eats

Lulu T. (for Trouble) Puppy, our Labrador retriever turns 5 today! In honor of her birthday we wanted to do something fun for her, something more exciting than dog ice cream or another marrow bone. So Ben found a dog birthday cake recipe online that people can eat too. Here it is:

1 cup flour1 tsp baking soda1/4 cup peanut butter1/4 cup vegetable oil1 cup shredded carrots1 tsp. vanilla1/3 cup honey1 egg

Mix flour and baking soda. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into greased 8″ round cake pan and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Let cool.

It is like a carrot cake with peanut butter. Ben also made a yogurt peanut butter frosting to go on top:

1/2 cup strained yogurt (see previous post for recipe) from either plain or vanilla yogurt1/2 tsp. vanilla (1÷4 tsp. if you use vanilla yogurt)2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar (1÷2 cup if you use vanilla yogurt)3 TB. peanut butter

Combine yogurt and vanilla, … continue reading

I made these for the Small Tarts Have Big Hearts contest at the Mini Pie Revolution blog. I have Karyn and Ann of the Mini Pie Revolution to thank for my ability to enter this contest, as they awarded me the mini tart pans I needed in order to make the tarts.

I consciously made this recipe far simpler than my last entry–it’s about as easy as you can get for making a crust, a filling and a garnish. Ironically, these pies took me much longer to perfect than my previous more complicated ones. I based the filling on a lavender frozen yogurt recipe, which is familiar territory for me. I know very little about baked custards and traditional pies, though, and I had a lot to learn before I was able to come up with a tart with a good filling constency and balanced flavor between the components. I’m still not 100% certain on the baking time needed to set the custard, but … continue reading

Broccoli, believe it or not, is in peak season right about now. And grilled cheese tastes good any time of the year. I didn’t know this when I made the sandwich below–it just sounded good at the time:

Sarah loved this recipe, and Jonathan was even fine with the Broccoli. Don’t be afraid of the cayenne–the butter and cheese mellow its intensity significantly. If you don’t want this at all spicy, you can reduce the quantity, but I’d strongly suggest not cutting it out. The almonds are also absolutely essential to the flavor.

Grilled Cheddar and Broccoli with Cayenne Butter(frm Laura Werlin’s Great Grilled Cheese: 50 Innovative Recipes)*

Makes four sandwiches–very easily halved or doubled.

1/2 lb. broccoli crowns2 TB. butter, at room temperature1/2 t. cayenne1/4 cup (1 oz.) sliced almonds8 slices whole wheat, sourdough or Italian bread8 oz. coarsely grated cheddar cheese, ideally at room temperature (use your food processor if you have … continue reading

One wouldn’t think that squash or pumpkin ravioli is a very traditional italian preparation, but put either search into google and you’ll find a plethora of results.

There’s a reason for this, of course. The ravioli tastes really good, and, surprisingly, doesn’t even taste particularly unfamiliar. It tastes like a comfort food you haven’t discovered yet. The hazelnuts and brown butter sauce is a really nice touch. Use the italian nomenclature, “Zucca Di Ravioli,” and it will sound more appetizing. As George Carlin points out in Napalm and Silly Putty,“‘You Want Some Squash’ sounds like someone sat on dinner.” But call it “zucca” and you’ll enjoy it.

The recipe I used is from the Gourmet cookbook and can be found here. The aged goat cheese (vs. regular) makes a difference. It tastes more like Brie than the goat cheese you may be familiar with, but it’s not too hard to find, e.g. Zagara’s has it.

The recipe … continue reading

I’ve been working on this concept (pureed raspberries as the liquid base for a muffin) for a while, and I finally came up with a recipe that works. The whole raspberries make the flavor even stronger, and the chocolate chips are a nice counterpoint.
12 oz. package frozen raspberries1/3 – ½ cup sour cream, yogurt or a combination of yogurt and heavy cream½ cup oats, either regular or quick-cooking

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour½ cup whole wheat pastry flour (or regular wheat flour)½ t. baking soda1 t. baking powder½ t. salt

2/3 cup sugar, divided2 eggs¼ cup canola oil

¼ — ½ cup chocolate chips (to taste)turbinado sugar (optional)

(1) Combine 8 oz. (2÷3 of the package) raspberries, thawed, and 1/3 cup sugar. (Leave the remaining 4 oz. of raspberries in the freezer). Let sit at room temperature for at least one hour, or in refrigerator for up to a few days. This will allow the raspberry flavor to intensify.

(2) … continue reading

The apple flavor of this oatmeal is really strong because of the apple juice and the chopped apples. The dried fruit is optional (Sarah doesn’t like it), but it definitely adds some flavor complexity.

While this recipe takes about 45 mintues, it’s really low maintenance. You can easily shower, get dressed, take the dog out, etc. while the oatmeal cooks.

Steel Cut Oatmeal with Apples, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon butter1 cup steel cut oats 2 1/4 cups boiling water2/3 cup apple juice (or ½ cup boiling water plus 3 TB. apple juice concentrate)1/2 cup whole or 2% milk1/4 cup buttermilk (or ¼ cup of milk with 1 ½ t. vinegar)1 apple, peeled and chopped (tart apples, e.g. Granny Smith or Mutsu, are especially good)1/3 cup dried cherries, cranberries or other fruit (optional)½ t. saltBrown sugar and cinnamon (to serve)

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes … continue reading

I made this recipe as an entry into the Mini Pie Revolution contest. I came up with the ice cream recipe years ago, but I always knew I needed some kind of counterpoint to the intensity of the chocolate, coffee and bourbon flavors. The granola crusts work well for this, as do the bruleed bananas.

Cocoa-Almond Granola Pie Crusts
1 3/4 cups rolled oats3/4 cup slivered almonds1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder¼ teaspoon salt¼ cup brown sugar1 ½ TB. white sugar3 TB. honey1 TB. Canola oil¼ teaspoon vanilla3 TB. butter, melted or at room temperature
(1) Preheat oven to 275 degrees.(2) Mix together first six ingredients in a medium bowl and next three ingredients in a small bowl. Combine thoroughly.(3) Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 30–40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until fragrant.(4) Remove mixture and allow to cool slightly. It should become crunchy.(5) Turn oven up to 325 degrees.(6) Pulse oat mixture with butter into course meal … continue reading

Happy Birthday Lulu!

Lavender Lime Tarts

Grilled Broccoli and Cheddar w/Hash Browns

Butternut Squash, Sage, and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Hazelnut Brown Butter Sauce

Double Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

Steel Cut Oatmeal with Apples, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

Mini Mud Pies with Bruleed Bananas