sourdough – Move Well with Amy Rizzotto

March 14, 2017March 14, 2017

Homemade Peanut Butter (sugar-free)!

When it snows and your noon class gets canceled, what else do you do besides cook? Okay well maybe that’s just me, but snow day = kitchen marathon. I’ve already made these pancakes:

And of course added my own twist with cacao nibs, unsweetened coconut, banana rounds and chia seeds.

Now, it’s time to tackle my first ever batch of homemade peanut butter….

So many of the brands you’ll find in stores contain sugar and if you haven’t heard, sugar overload is killing us. I’ve wanted to make my own peanut butter for a while, but it wasn’t until a recent trip to Houston, TX that I picked up some fresh, raw peanuts from Frobergs Farm that I finally got the motivation.

Turns out, it’s super easy if you have a food processor! Give it a try. Warning: you might never go back to the store bought stuff.

Homemade Peanut Butter (Sugar-Free)

Makes 1 pint (or 1 wide mouth, 16 oz mason jar)

Ingredients:

For the Peanut Butter –

1lb roasted peanuts, shelled
1 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt (or slightly more to taste)
2 – 2 1/2 Tbs coconut oil, melted

For roasting the peanuts –

1lb raw peanuts, shelled
1 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
1 Tbs coconut oil, melted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place peanuts in a large bowl and toss with the melted coconut oil and salt until well coated.
Place on 1 non-stick or lined sheet pan, making sure to spread them out into a single layer. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking.
Remove the peanuts from the oven and let them cool before eating/using for Peanut Butter. They will continue to become crunchy as they cool.
To make peanut butter, remove the skin by rubbing the peanuts together in your hands held over a salad spinner, allowing the peanuts and skins to fall into the bowl. Once the skin has been loosened from all of the peanuts close the salad spinner and spin until all of the skin has been separated from the peanuts. (This step is optional – an idea taken from Alton Brown. I skipped it and had a few skins in the mix that didn’t just naturally fall off in roasting and it still turned out well!).
In a food processor, combine roasted peanuts, melted coconut oil and sea salt to taste. Pulse until smooth or slightly crunchy – we all have our preference!

Note: you can store this in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

December 5, 2016November 30, 2016

Whole Wheat Sourdough Scones with Goat Cheese and Rosemary

I am a superfan of Paisley Fig‘s scones at Room 11 (soon to have its own storefront in Mt. Pleasant DC as well). I’ve sampled scones far and wide but no pastry elsewhere holds a candle to these shaggy pillows of flour and butter. While I am no Paisley Fig, I do love baking bread and recently got back into the rhythm with a sourdough starter from Cultures for Health. After lovingly feeding and growing my starter for a week and building it up for use over the course of another few days, I now have a robust living culture for all my sour baking dreams. Rejoice!

I baked my first loaf last week only to realize I needed to knead it more. Edible, but not ideal. This week, I attempted their gluten-free sourdough oat and buckwheat scones – only I made it not gluten-free, probiotic and savory 🙂 Check out my adaptation below – they are delicious!

Whole Wheat Sourdough Scones with Goat Cheese and Rosemary

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
2 cups whole wheat bread flour
6 Tbs cold butter
1/2 cup sourdough starter
1/2 cup plain kefir (low-fat or whole milk)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
2 Tbs rosemary leaves, minced

Directions

In a large bowl, combine oats and flour. Cut in cold butter, cubed, until flour texture becomes crumbly (note: you can use two forks, a dough blender, or pinch the butter into the flour with your fingertips). Pour in sourdough starter and kefir and mix with your hand or cutting utensils until the dough begins to come together. Knead a few times in the bowl to ensure that everything is well-mixed.
Cover with a dry cloth and let sour 8 to 12 hours at room temperature (ideally 68-85°F).
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425°F.
In a small bowl, beat eggs. In a separate small bowl combine baking soda, salt, and baking powder with a fork until well combined.
Add the eggs and dry mixture to the soured dough and mix together, using a utensil or your hands – I like to use my hands personally. Fold in the goat cheese and rosemary until the ingredients come together well and the goodies look evenly distributed.
Line a baking sheet. Use your hands or a large soup spoon to make shaggy triangles of dough on the prepared baking sheet. Leave at least 1 inch of space between scones. I did one baking sheet with 12 scones from this recipe, but you could definitely make them smaller and do two batches.
Once pan is full, transfer scones to preheated oven and bake 14-16 minutes or until set on top and golden brown on the bottom. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving or transferring to cooling rack.

March 3, 2015

Top it with an egg.

As a nutrition coach I’m often asked what are some of my go-to meals that are (A) healthy, and (B) quick. My response is almost always, yadda yadda yadda and “top it with an egg.” Ok, so I realize that’s not exactly helpful but it’s really that simple. Pinky swear.

For example, one of my favorite dinners when I get home late from teaching at the studio is a small bowl of leftover roasted vegetables (think carrots, turnips, beets, sweet potatoes, onions, etc) topped with an over-easy egg; or, if I’m feeling fancy, a poached egg with some fresh herbs on top. The egg white serves as a filling protein and its yolk acts as an oozy, delicious sauce to richly coat the veggies and bring the dish together.

You can pretty much top any combination of raw or roasted vegetables, fresh or sautéed greens, herbs, homemade spreads, whole grains, and/or cheeses with an egg for a healthy, satisfying meal in under 10 minutes. Look in your fridge right now and give it a try. I dare you!

I put this theory to the test while down here in Florida for a little R&R with my itinerant roomie who is currently co-habitating with another grown male. Not surprisingly, their refrigerator looked like a bachelor’s when I first arrived. All that seemed edible was a carton of eggs and a half-used log of fresh goat cheese.

I thought to myself, I can work with this.

A quick trip to Publix and I was fully stocked thanks to their house-made jalapeno-cilantro hummus, some roasted red peppers, and a bag of baby arugula. I’d already brought down some of my homemade sourdough (thanks Caroline and Karen for the starter!) so I was good to go with just those few simple ingredients.

In no time, I was enjoying my simple sandwich in balmy 78 degree weather on their screen porch. It was a nice recovery meal after my morning run by Spacecoast Stadium and kept me full for my afternoon at the beach. Yes, I realize this is cruel torture for all my DC readers. Sending you sun and heat and love <3.

Amy’s Open-Faced Egg Sandwich on Sourdough

Ingredients:

1 thick slice (good, hand-made) Sourdough Bread
1 oz Goat Cheese
2 Tbs Roasted Red Pepper Slices (enough to cover a piece of toast)
1 small handful Arugula
2 Tbs Hummus of choice
1/2 tsp Organic Butter
1 Egg
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbs fresh Cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Toast one thick slice of sourdough bread (or substitute any whole grain bread you like).
While that’s toasting, heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Turn down to medium and add 1/2 tsp butter to pan. Crack an egg into the pan and cook until egg white turns opaque. Flip and cook another 1 minute. Remove from heat.
White the egg is cooking, spread toast with a thin smear of goat cheese; layer on your roasted red pepper; pile arugula on top and don’t worry if it spills over; add two heaping spoonfuls of hummus and spread it around to the best of your abilities.
Finally, la piece de resistance, top with an egg. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and even some fresh herbs if you’re feeling fancy!