eastwestbakery.com

Start your day off with a tasty shot of nutrition

Dec 16, 2011 Uncategorized

In a big hurry this morning – I have to pick up the youngest child following 
• her first semester in college.
• I wanted a decent breakfast before the three hour drive. Eggs for protein, spinach for iron and other important vitamins and other nutrients – and some spices just for good measure.
• Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, or cooked just briefly.
• It is a rich source of vitamin A (and especially high in lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K,magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, iron, vitamin B₂, calcium, potassium, vitamin B₆, folic acid, copper,protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. Polyglutamyl folate (vitamin B₉ or folic acid) is a vital constituent of cells, and spinach is a good source of folic acid.
• In other words, it’s darned good and darned good for you.

Quick Spinach Omelette

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup  of torn baby spinach leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• •In a bowl, beat the eggs, and stir in the baby spinach and Parmesan cheese.
• •Season with the onion powder, the nutmeg, the salt, and the pepper.
• •In a small skillet, coated with cooking spray, over medium heat, cook the egg mixture for about 3 minutes, until partially set.
• •Flip with a spatula, and continue cooking for about 3 minutes.
• •Reduce the heat to low, and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. 
• •Sprinkle a little parm on top.
• That’s it!

Tags: 2 Eggs, 3 Fatty Acids, Baby Spinach, Constituent, Grated Parmesan, Ground Nutmeg, Lutein, Magnesium, Manganese, Nutritional Value, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Onion Powder, Potassium, Rich Source, Spices, Vitamin B 6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Zinc

Apple pie

Oct 4, 2011 Cupcakes Bakery

Fall is definitely here in Vancouver. I love fall and all that comes with it. The colours, cooler weather, bundling up in warmer clothes and covers at night, Halloween and Thanksgiving, apple picking and of course the flavours! To celebrate the arrival of autumn and perhaps cheer up a few friends that are getting down because of the rain, I decided to make apple pie cupcakes this week. I started by baking some apples with brown sugar and cinnamon just like they would inside a pie. Layering them in the cupcake would continue baking them and blend the flavour with the cake. I topped it all off with vanilla icing to recall the simple scoop of vanilla icing that tops a warm apple pie slice. Here is the recipe for 18 cupcakes:

cake:
- 3 apples
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups of flour
- 2 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup of butter
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 apple
- 1/2 cup of cream
- 1/2 cup of milk

method:
- preheat the oven to 350
- peel and cut the apples into quarters, place in a skillet or a pan that goes into the oven
- add a 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar and a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and stir roughly all together
- start cooking the apples on the stove
- when the sugar starts to melt mix everything together a bit more evenly
- when the sugar is completely melted and starts to boil, stir one last time and put in the oven for 20 minutes
- when the apples are done take them out of the oven, stir one last time to cover the apples with the melted sugar and set aside.
- sift the flour, baking powder, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and salt together and set aside
- beat the butter until it is light and fluffy
- add the brown and granulated sugar and beat thoroughly
- add the eggs one at a time and beat in between each addition, then beat on high for 30 seconds
- puree the last apple and add it to the butter, sugar, egg mix
- add the flour and combine
- add the cream and milk and combine until smooth
- line a cupcake pan with paper cups
- put half the cupcake batter in the paper cups, then add the cooked apples and then add the rest of the cupcake batter on top covering the apples
- bake for 20 minutes

icing:
- 3 egg whites
- 140g of sugar
- 1 1/4 cup of butter cut in 1 inch cubes
- 1 vanilla bean

method:
- combine the egg whites and sugar in a double boiler
- whisk a little until all the sugar is melted away and the eggs reach body temperature
- take off the double boiler and beat on high until it forms a firm meringue
- add the butter one cube at a time while beating on a lower speed
- beat on high until you get a nice fluffy texture (it will turn to a cottage cheese kind of texture about half way through, just keep beating)
- add the vanilla bean

Enjoy

Tags: 2 Eggs, 3 Apples, Apple 1, Apple Picking, Baking Powder, Brown Sugar, Cupcake, Egg Mix, Flavour, Flavours, Flour, Granulated Sugar, Last Time, Pie Slice, Pinch Of Salt, Scoop, Skillet, Tsp Cinnamon, Vanilla Icing, Warm Apple Pie

If you’re going to go vegan, start with dessert

Jul 21, 2011 Uncategorized

• I was going to try to move toward more of a vegan lifestyle. It seemed to me, however, that recipes that didn’t include eggs or dairy were pretty much out of the question. 
• Not to mention that such desserts were just not possible.
• Since sweets are my weakness, I thought my quest should begin there. I daresay the quest will probably end there as well…I like this cake just fine, but I think it would be better with real eggs and real sour cream.
• But that’s just me. I admire those who can give up eggs and dairy. I’m certainly not there yet.
• If you have the fortitude to move to a full vegan diet, this is a great way to begin your transition. It does show how good a vegan dessert can be. It’s fairly moist and very tasty.
• Vegan Blueberry Coffee Cake
• 1 1/2 cups of sifted flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 3 teaspoons of dry egg replacer
• 4 tablespoons of water
• 1 cup of soy sour cream substitute (like Sour Supreme)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/4 cup of  blueberries
• 5 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease  and flour a medium  square baking pan.
• In a large mixing, bowl resift flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt and 3/4 cup of sugar.
• In a separate bowl combine the egg replacer and water (2 eggs’ worth) and mix in sour cream substitute and vanilla. Pour the ‘egg’ mixture into the flour mixture and beat until smooth.
• Spread batter in baking pan. Sprinkle blueberries over the batter and stir slightly so that they stay in the top layer.
• In a small bowl, mix the 5 tablespoons of sugar, margarine and cinnamon.
• Mix with a fork until the mixture looks like cornmeal.
• Sprinkle the topping over the batter.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Tags: 2 Eggs, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Blueberries, Blueberry Cake, Blueberry Coffee Cake, Cornmeal, Egg Mixture, Egg Replacer, Flour Mixture, Fortitude, Margarine, Sour Cream, Spread Batter, Teaspoon, Teaspoons, Toothpick, Vegan Dessert, Vegan Diet, Vegan Lifestyle