Wild fish in parchment with summer herbs recipe

We’re baaaack!  What an amazing trip.  The five of us had an unbelievable 3 1/2 weeks together in Europe.  We shared so many great experiences, met interesting people and really grew together as a family.  People have been asking me what was the best part of our trip and I know it sounds corny, but what I enjoyed most of all was the five of us just being together.  Most importantly, and this is the mother in me talking, no one got sick, hurt or lost and we made it home in one piece.  Hooray!

I learned a new expression on this trip and it’s not in a foreign language.  My daughters kept saying to me, “YOLO, Mom.  YOLO.”  Huh?  Is that Dutch?  Apparently YOLO stands for “You Only Live Once.”  This often came up in regard to food.  The first five days of the trip I was able to avoid bread, pizza (except for that tomato and cheese pancake in Amsterdam), pasta and desserts, but my family was going for it.  Big time.  Eventually, I think around Copenhagen, I gave in and basically had a carb fest for 2 1/2 weeks.  It was fun while it lasted, but it also reinforced what I already know about wheat and refined foods — overdoing it is never a good thing.  And I’ve got my tight jeans to prove it.

Although it was a nice break to be out of the kitchen for a few weeks, I am happy to be back, cooking the food that makes me feel good.  I especially have a craving for fish and vegetables since the last half of our trip focused mostly on apple strudel, meat, apple strudel, potatoes, apple strudel, and bread.  This fish in parchment recipe is one of my favorite, easiest and most healthful ways to prepare fish.  It’s also the perfect light dinner for summertime, especially if you have some herbs growing in your garden.  Feel free to change the herbs in the recipe to suit your tastes or you can even add some thinly sliced, quick-cooking vegetables to the packets.  I used baby spinach leaves in these photos, but I also like diced fresh tomatoes and zucchini.  Or if you have some roasted or grilled vegetables from last night’s dinner, throw those in.  You really can’t go wrong.

Lucky for me, only Daughter #2 is still holding out on seafood, but everyone else loves fish, including this preparation.  Wild, cold water fish is high in important anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fats, which help support brain and cardiovascular function, as well as balance inflammatory influences in our lives, both from diet and lifestyle.  Steaming the fish in parchment actually helps to protect those fats from oxidation since the temperature inside the packets is low.  I am eager to start cooking for family again the way I know they and I should be eating.  Because like I always say friends, YOLO.

Save Print
Wild Fish in Parchment with Summer Herbs
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 1-2 cloves garlic (2 if small)
  • ½ cup fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh mint leaves
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt (you can use an extra pinch if you like salt)
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 6 4-6 ounce portions of wild fish, such as halibut, salmon or mahi-mahi, defrosted, if frozen
  • 6 14-inch squares of unbleached parchment
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Place the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in the bowl of a mini-food processor and process until the herbs are finely chopped. Add the olive oil and process until well combined. Add lemon zest and pulse once or twice.
  3. Place each piece of fish in the center of a sheet of parchment. Spread a heaping spoonful of the herb mixture on top of each piece of fish.
  4. Bring 2 opposite sides of the parchment together and fold. Continue to fold all the way down until you reach the fish. Twist both ends of the parchment so that it looks like a hard candy wrapper. Place each packet on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes based on the thickness of the fish.
  5. Transfer each packet to a plate and use caution when opening – the steam will be very hot!
Notes
You can make the fish packets in the morning if you like and keep them refrigerated. If you cook them straight out of the fridge, add an extra minute or two to the cooking time.

Other suggestions: you can also add to the packets quick-cooking vegetables such as baby spinach leaves, julienned zucchini or finely diced tomatoes. For longer-cooking vegetables, blanch or steam them first, then add to packets.

If you enjoy this, check out my other recipe for Halibut in Parchment with Cilantro and Ginger! There you can see step-by-step photos for how to fold the parchment paper.

 

Grilled panzanella recipe

We are alive and well on our European holiday, although I may need a vacation after we return home!  We met our friends in Berlin a few days ago and have been having the best time.   What a cool, interesting, beautiful and progressive city!  Daughter #1 announced she will be moving to Berlin after college.  First things first, Missy.   All the kids have been fantastic – really going with the flow.  At times, I felt like we were on an episode of Amazing Race, figuring out metro schedules and running to catch trains, deciphering maps, and trying to translate foreign languages.  The good thing is that we have generally been laughing our way through it all.  Our overnight train trip from Berlin to Munich last night was particularly memorable as it was a first for all to sleep in beds on a train.  Before you picture us on the Orient Express, think again!  It wasn’t nearly that glamourous, but certainly provided us with a few giggles and good stories to tell when we are back home again.  As I write this, we are on another train from Munich to Salzburg, Austria.

As far as eating a whole, unrefined diet, I threw in the towel back in Copenhagen.  It is terribly difficult to avoid European bread when it is so darn good.  Once I gave into bread, pasta/spatzle, pizza and pastries came after.  Something tells me Austria will offer more of the same.  Mr. Picky is enamored with game sausages and mustard and I had my first beer since college just for kicks.   One was enough and I would just as soon eat fried potatoes than drink another beer.  We have really eaten a broad mix of cuisines which I think you’ll find in most major cities.

I will not start a war here by declaring the bread best in any particular city or country, but I can say that Europeans love bread.  We’ve eaten baguettes, spelt rolls, pretzel bread, whole rye, sourdough and more.  I also know that Europeans like to be efficient with their food and make good use of day old bread which might be otherwise thrown away.  I thought today would be a good time to share my recipe for Grilled Panzanella.

Panzanella is essentially an Italian bread salad, although I believe Spain has its own version of it, too.  Earlier in the summer, I also did a post on Fattoush, which is a Lebanese take on the same.  Sometimes it can be as simple as soaking stale bread in a mixture of vinegar and water and mixing it with fresh tomatoes and a pinch of salt.  When I was growing up, we would tear the stale bread and mix it with tomatoes from the garden, basil, red onions, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.  The stale bread would soak up the oil, vinegar and tomato juices and soften up a bit, too – really tasty.

I don’t eat bread very often, but if you grill it, I’ll never turn it down, especially if it’s rubbed with garlic and the edges are slightly black and smoky.  Simple and heavenly.  Try rubbing grilled bread with a cut, ripe tomato and you’ll go crazy.  In as much as I love a simple panzanella in the summer, I knew it would be better with grilled bread and it is!  Ina Garten has a Grilled Panzanella which I hear is delicious.  Not only does she grill the bread, but onions and peppers as well.

This salad is a snap to make and prep in advance if you need to, just keep the bread, chopped vegetables and dressing separate until you’re ready to serve.  Although most Italians would disagree with me, I think you should feel free to create your own yummy version of Panzanella.  I added capers to this one because I love a salty bite, but olives would be great, too.  There are versions with ripe, sliced peaches.  I also think baby mozzarella balls or chickpeas would also be nice in here, but try and keep it simple.

Our train has just entered Austria and we are already enamored of this beautiful countryside and all the adventures that await us.  Stay tuned….

Save Print
Grilled Panzanella
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup unrefined extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing bread
  • 1 large clove of garlic, minced + 1 large clove
  • 4 Tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar (raw apple cider vinegar is a more healthful choice)
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4 Persian cucumbers, unpeeled and chopped into ½-inch thick chunks
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (about ½ pound each)
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 6 Tablespoons capers, drained
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • ½ pound loaf or crusty peasant bread or baguette, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch slices
Instructions
  1. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
  3. Place the cucumbers, tomato, basil, capers, and shallots in a large bowl. Sprinkle with large pinch of salt and pepper.
  4. Brush bread slices on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Toast them on the grill until golden, about 4 minutes on each side. A little black char on the edges is good! Cut a thin slice off the garlic clove and rub one side of each piece of bread with the cut side of the garlic.
  5. Cut the bread into cubes and add to the cucumber mixture. Pour in the vinaigrette and toss to combine.

 

Nectarine and goat cheese salad with beet dressing recipe

If you don’t follow my Facebook posts or my tweets, you may have started to wonder if I got lost in a medieval castle somewhere between Germany and Russia.  Thankfully I didn’t, but our schedule has been so busy that I haven’t kept track of what day of the week it is!  Since my last post, we have visited Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburgh and Tallinn (Estonia.)  Right now, we’re on our way to Copenhagen and then back to Amsterdam for a day before we travel to meet friends in Berlin.

We have been in Europe now for 2 weeks with about 10 days to go and I think seeing our friends soon will be just the change in dynamic we need.  That is, Mr. Picky and his bathroom hygiene (or lack thereof) are starting to get on his sisters’ nerves.   This trip has been amazing so far, and we are really packing a lot in every day.  Even though we are trying to keep it geared toward the youngest common denominator, after a while most 8-year-old boys don’t appreciate contrasting the differences among castles and art from one century to the next, although he was surprisingly fascinated by the Russian ballet.  All in all, Mr. Picky has been a trooper and bribing him with a soccer jersey in each country we visit has helped.  I hope to do a post at the end of our trip pulling together all of the do’s and don’ts that worked for us.

Our experiences have been so different in each city and all so memorable.  I will admit that making the most of our time in Russia was perfectly exhausting that by the time we hit Estonia about all we could muster was one medieval castle and shopping the local markets for well-priced linens and handmade crafts.  I don’t want to bore you with every landmark we visited, but if you are traveling to any of the same cities, please feel to leave a comment or a question and I will be more than happy to provide a speedy reply.

Normally, I love getting to know the local flavors of wherever we visit, but because most of our meals have been on the fly, we have really just been settling for whatever looks decent when hunger strikes.   I haven’t gone so far as to give in to McDonalds and Pizza Hut, which have been in EVERY city (although my husband tried the Big Mac below on dark sour rye in Helsinki – yuck!) , but let’s just say there have been a lot of chocolate croissants, pasta and reindeer sausage (see photo below) eaten this week (not by me, naturally.)  Sadly, there has been a lack of fresh vegetables in our meals and I am dying for a salad, like this one.

Coincidentally, I served this salad to the very same friends we are to meet in Berlin in a few days.  They came over for dinner and a strategy session just before we left.  The nectarines were spectacular in California, as I am sure they are by you, making this salad so simple, delicious and gorgeous at the same time.  It has been one of my summer staples since I saw a version of it by Yotam Ottolenghi (genius!) in The Guardian many years ago.  The combination of fruit, cheese and nuts in a salad is not an original one, but this hot pink beet vinaigrette is.  I think it is stunning and all it is is a small cooked beet blended with a basic vinaigrette.  I know I already mentioned how easy this salad is, so I beg you to make it.  The beauty of this is the contrast in colors, flavors and textures.  If it makes you happy to substitute peaches or apricots for the nectarines, please do.  If you prefer blue cheese or manchego, use that instead of the feta or goat.  By the same token, walnuts and pistachios would work equally well here.  Arugula is fabulous in this salad, but two of my kids don’t like it yet, so I used red leaf lettuce.

I am trying to be cool with my family about what they eat while we’re away merely shooting dirty looks with every buttered roll and not a verbal scolding.  My hope is that they will not expect pastries for breakfast when we return home or ice cream every afternoon, but instead crave salads like this one.  If anyone knows of a good juice bar in Copenhagen, I’m all ears!

Save Print
Nectarine and Goat Cheese Salad with Beet Dressing
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 small beet for the dressing and 2-3 more for the salad, if desired
  • 1 Tablespoon raw honey or pure maple syrup
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 2 Tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar, preferably unpasteurized
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • few grinds of black pepper
  • ½ cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil + 1 teaspoon for almonds
  • ⅓ cup raw whole almonds, roughly chopped
  • 2 medium nectarines, ripe but firm
  • 8 ounces mixed greens
  • 3 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the beets, place in an oven-proof baking dish with ½ inch of water and cover the dish tightly with foil. Roast for 45-50 minutes, or until very soft. A paring knife should pierce the beets easily. Peel when cool enough to handle.
  2. To make the dressing, put one small beet, honey, mustard, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for a few seconds, then with the motor running, pour ½ cup oil through the feed tube. The dressing should be smooth and emulsified. This recipe makes more dressing than you’ll need for this salad.
  3. Saute the almonds in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt for 3-4 minutes, then set aside to cool.
  4. Halve the nectarines, remove the pit and slice each half into six slices. Slice the remaining beets into similar sized wedges.
  5. Assemble the greens on a serving platter and lightly drizzle with some dressing. Toss to coat. Arrange the nectarines and beets on top and sprinkle with the almonds and (optional) cheese. Drizzle a touch more dressing, if desired.

Blueberry spelt muffins with flax recipe

I have to say, so far our family vacation is going really well!  I have to give much of the credit to my husband who enjoys planning and executing trips like this.  Unlike him, I don’t have the knack for figuring out the best strategy for tackling a foreign city in a limited amount of time.  My husband is also a history buff, so he acts as tour guide too, giving us great tidbits of information so we have a better appreciation of how a particular region has evolved.  An unexpected bonus has been Daughter #1’s European history coursework from last year, so she’s getting in on the act too, and has been that much more interested in historical landmarks and art than in previous years.  It’s a good “note to self” that kids are more invested in medieval Baltic trade unions after having studied it in school rather than before.

Mr. Picky, who has a very competitive nature about him, has been particularly fascinated with anything to do with wars – which countries were fighting against each other and why, who’d formed alliances, what weapons were used — and are they still rivals today on the soccer pitch?  Daughter #2 is more interested in art and famous paintings.  Does Europe not offer something for all of us?!

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Amsterdam, a very civilized, and historically liberal and tolerant city.  Still feels that way today.   Amsterdam is a very easy city to get around on foot or bicycle as so many of the locals do.  We will be back there for a day in less than two weeks, so I’m hoping for good weather so that we can take a canal ride.  The buildings along the canals are really lovely.

After leaving the Netherlands, we are just passing through a few German coastal towns such as Rostock on our way to Scandinavia.  Our visit in Germany is brief because we will be back here in about 10 days when we are to visit Berlin for a more extended time.

Like I mentioned in my last post, I have a few recipes up my sleeve while I am away to keep my lovely readers busy in the kitchen and eating well.  Today I hope to inspire you with a delicious Blueberry Spelt Muffin with Flax Recipe.  I thought of this recipe today as we walked through a German square from the Middle Ages in the city of Rostock, formerly part of East Germany.  It seemed as though there was a “Backerie” on every corner.  You may not know this about me, but I am obsessed with bake shops, bakeries, pastry shops and the like, especially in foreign countries.  I love the smell of bakeries and the different varieties of baked goods in other areas.  I don’t indulge very often, but the last few days on our trip will be in Austria and all bets are off, people!  Here are a few photos of some of the baked goods my husband and children DID sample, because when in Rome…. All I can say is that it is a good thing we are walking 10 miles a day!

 

As opposed to the unsubstantial blueberry muffins you might find in a traditional bakery, which are really just blueberry cupcakes, these are hearty and flavorful and don’t leave you craving something with nutrients.  I made these for breakfast a few days before we left when Daughter #2 had a few girlfriends spend the night.  I have been using whole spelt flour more and more (which you can read about here) since it is lower in gluten than wheat, hence more digestible and more tender, plus it is a little less bitter than whole wheat.  Of course you can use a whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour here, too.  Either way this is a denser batter than most of my other quick bread recipes.  I added a little extra nutrition bonus here with some ground flaxseed to give a few Omega-3 fatty acids plus fiber and no will know.  Because of those very fragile Omega-3’s, you have to be very careful with flax.  Here’s all you need to know – buy flaxseeds whole and grind them fresh at home.  Pre-ground flaxseeds are likely already oxidized (free radicals have been created) and not worth the convenience.  I have an inexpensive coffee grinder which I use exclusively for grinding seeds.  If ground flaxmeal is something you use regularly, grind a few days’ worth at once and keep it refrigerated in a tightly sealed container.

making struesel

You can keep this recipe on the simple side by not making the optional streusel topping, but it makes the muffins look really pretty and earthy.  It also adds a nice texture and a light glaze of extra sweetness.  If you don’t have time to make the streusel, brushing the tops of the muffins with a little melted butter before baking will give them a nice golden glaze.   I haven’t seen any muffins like this in Europe, but I’ll let you know what I find in Sweden and Finland in the next few days!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Save Print
Blueberry Spelt Muffins with Flax
Author: 
Serves: makes 12 muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ cups whole spelt flour (or King Arthur Multi-purpose GF Flour + 1 teaspoon xanthan gum)
  • ½ cup freshly ground flax meal (ground from approximately ¼ cup of whole flax seeds)
  • 2 teaspoons aluminum- free baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 large egg (or 1 Tbs. ground flax + 3 Tbs. warm water –allow to sit for 15 min.)
  • 1 cup buttermilk (or half milk, half yogurt)
  • 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • Optional additions: chopped walnuts or pecans, shredded coconut, lemon zest
  • Streusel topping:
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 Tablespoon whole spelt flour
  • 1 Tablespoon palm sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons rolled oats
  • 1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon pumpkin seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon raw honey
  • 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with unbleached parchment liners.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl or in a blender, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and maple syrup. Pour into the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.
  3. Streusel topping – combine butter and flour in a small bowl mash together with a fork to combine. Add sugar, oats, and seeds to butter-flour mixture. Stir together honey and water and add to mixture. Combine well.
  4. Divide the batter among the muffin liners, sprinkle each with streusel topping and bake 22-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

 

Shrimp with tomatoes, white beans and spinach recipe

Shrimp with Tomatoes, White Beans and Spinach | Pamela Salzman

Shrimp with Tomatoes, White Beans and Spinach | Pamela Salzman

Since my husband and I both have our own businesses, a big family vacation hasn’t been in the picture for many years.  We never felt that we could take the time off from work or spend the money during uncertain economic times.  But with Daughter #1 off to college (we hope) in two years, we decided it was now or never.  So here we are in Amsterdam with two teenage girls and a picky 8-year-old on the first day of a 3 1/2 week European adventure.  So far so good!

We are hoping to create some amazing memories, expose the kids to beautiful and interesting places and cultures, and enjoy some quality family bonding time.  I purposely didn’t purchase any international phone plans for the girls so that they would focus on our experiences, but somehow they have already figured out how to call and text their friends for free.  Oy.  Regardless, I decided to let a lot go before we embarked on this trip, especially with regard to food.  Sometimes you have to go with the flow and not create any unnecessary stress at a time when you are supposed to be relaxing.  So I ate a cheese and tomato pancake in Amsterdam today and didn’t think about the white flour, non-organic butter and cheese I had inhaled.  Until now.  Just kidding!  Totally ok with it.

What I did think about before I left was you dear people and how I still wanted to continue to inspire you with some healthful recipes to cook.  I hope you know that I really do walk the talk and prepare dinner for my family at least five nights a week, sometimes six or seven.  I especially like to make sure I cook the night before I leave for a trip so that we have a proper meal and a good night’s sleep.  So I thought I would share with you what I made for our last dinner at home.

Granted, the night before we left for 3 1/2 weeks was a busy one and Pamela had veeeeery limited time.  Shrimp with tomatoes, white beans and spinach was one of the only things I knew how to whip up in about 15 minutes and feel good about.  Yes, you see white rice on the plate because my choice was either brown rice and not going out to buy Mr. Picky a rain jacket or white rice and keeping him dry on our trip but losing a little fiber.  Mr. Picky always wins and I’m glad since we had a little sprinkle tonight as we walked back to our hotel after dinner.

With some grilled zucchini, this was otherwise the perfect meal.  You know by now I could eat tomato-garlic-olive oil on anything and I love seafood.  But I will admit right now that Daughter #2 is still boycotting anything that swims and I my husband doesn’t eat shellfish.  The beauty of this dish is that you can easily adapt it for vegetarians or non-seafood eaters by eliminating the shrimp since the white beans add lots of good protein.  So the two of them just picked out the shellfish.  More for me!  If you can find good quality wild shrimp, it’s actually a really good source of Vitamin D and iodine, and very low in fat.

I used Eden Organic canned white beans for this recipe and fresh tomatoes.  The beans make the sauce nice and creamy so include something in the meal to soak up the juices.  Besides rice, I think polenta or millet would be good choices too.  You could also sub arugula for the spinach, but Mr. Picky just started eating spinach so I didn’t want to push my luck.  Speaking of pushing it, it is now morning and everyone is waiting for me to head over to the Van Gogh Museum.  Check out my daily posts on Twitter and Facebook for more European updates!

Shrimp with Tomatoes, White Beans and Spinach | Pamela Salzman

5.0 from 4 reviews
Save Print
Shrimp with Tomatoes, White Beans and Spinach
Author: 
Serves: 5-6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (or canned, drained)
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • sea salt
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 ½ cups cooked cannellini beans or 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups baby spinach leaves
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, less than a minute. Stir in the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, parsley and a few healthy pinches of salt. Cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp and cook, turning, until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, spinach and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook until everything is heated through and spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Delicious served over rice, millet, polenta or pasta.
Notes
Great Northern beans can be subbed for the cannellini.

 

Grilled banana s’mores recipe

I had my first s’more on a girl scout camping trip when I was 12 and I thought it was genius.  I loved that crispy graham cracker paired with a smooshy, slightly burnt marshmallow and the way the chocolate just started to melt a little.  Do-it-yourself desserts are just so fun to put together too, especially when you’re with friends.  I remember sitting around the campfire with the other girls trying to get the perfect golden toastiness on our marshmallows without actually setting them on fire and then giggling as we snuck an extra square of chocolate, because why the heck wouldn’t we?

I think s’mores have a way of bringing out the kid in all of us, so they are always a welcome dessert in the summer when we have other families over for dinner.  Set your s’mores bar with homemade graham crackers and your family and friends will be like, “no you didn’t!”  I certainly don’t have to tell you how to put together a s’more, but I thought I would share a fun twist on a classic.

Since I think marshmallows border on toxicity (I can be fun, really!), that was my target in creating a more healthful s’more.  Basically, I grill firm, but ripe and speckled bananas and use those in place of the marshmallows.  You still get something sweet, something soft and something that tastes amazing with chocolate and graham crackers.  The point of grilling them is just to get them warm enough so they melt the chocolate a little bit, so watch out for chocolate dripping down your chin.  With all the fun, new chocolates out there, I think it would be amazing to put out some interesting ones for people to use.  Picture a grilled banana s’more paired with caramel and sea salt chocolate or one laced with hot pepper or bits of lavender.  Did I have you at “grilled?”

Save Print
Grilled Banana S'mores
Author: 
Serves: makes 12
 
Ingredients
  • 24 graham crackers (I used 3 x 3 ½ inch homemade)
  • 3 3.5-ounce thin bars of chocolate (thin is better so that it can melt a little)
  • oil for brushing the grill, such as coconut or olive oil
  • 2 large or 3 medium firm, but ripe bananas
Instructions
  1. Preheat the grill to medium.
  2. Arrange 12 graham crackers on a platter and top with a 1-ounce piece of chocolate or a piece large enough to fit.
  3. Peel the bananas and slice in half crosswise. If the bananas are large, you can cut them in thirds. Then slice each piece lengthwise. Brush the grill with oil and grill bananas 2-3 minutes on each side until warm. The goal is just to get them warm so that they melt the chocolate slightly. You can also arrange the bananas on a baking sheet and broil them for a couple minutes until warm and toasty.
  4. Top each piece of chocolate with a banana slice and then with a graham cracker. Serve immediately.
Notes
Another option is to make s’mores sandwiches with raw bananas, wrap each individually with parchment and foil and place on the grill over medium heat until chocolate is slightly melted.
Or you can forgo the square of chocolate and spread with chocolate nut butter. Delish!

 

Homemade graham crackers recipe

There are some things that I just don’t think are worth making from scratch (like puff pastry) and then there are some things I can’t believe can be made from scratch and taste good, like graham crackers.  Wait, not just “good,” but amazing!   Who doesn’t remember eating graham crackers as a child?  But you always got them out of a box, right?  Not anymore.  Be prepared to have your life changed!

Even though my mom didn’t allow many over-the-top sweets in the house, graham crackers sometimes made the cut.  Whereas Ho-Ho’s and Twinkies were definitely taboo, graham crackers seemed relatively benign and not overly sugary.  My mom bought Honeymaid, which we used to smear with peanut butter or cream cheese or just dunk in milk.  My kids would like to do the same, but I rarely buy packaged cookies.  First of all, I think that homemade always beats store-bought.  And it’s hard to find treats made with unrefined ingredients and without lots of scary chemicals.

Last June and July my summer intern Hannah and I went graham cracker crazy, making a new batch or two every week.  I finally settled on this recipe here which my friend Cheryl helped me with.  These graham crackers have just the right amount of sweetness, which makes them a perfect snack for your little guys and for s’mores.  I like using a combination of whole spelt or wheat flour and brown rice flour.  Rice flour is very light and has a grittiness that I think is ideal for graham crackers.  If you don’t have it, just use all spelt or wheat flour and they will still be delicious.  But I think the key with graham crackers is to ask yourself how perfect you want them to look. I so admire people who have the patience for making things look like they popped out of Martha Stewart Living because I don’t.  I will admit, I did my best with the batch I photographed for this post, but normally I leave my ruler in the drawer.  If you are giving these as a gift, using them for s’mores, or offering them to a large group of children, you may want the crackers to be as uniformly sized as possible so it might be worth the effort to measure out the dough and where you cut your lines.

This recipe is otherwise crazy simple,  but makes a great impression.  Last summer my go-to dessert for entertaining was a s’mores bar with these homemade graham crackers which Mr. Picky helped me bake on more than one occasion.  To me, having my kids helping me in the kitchen is the best part of making your favorite treats from scratch.   I also love that you can put into them what you want.  All organic ingredients?  No problem!  Half the sugar of their traditional counterparts?  Go for it!  Lots and lots of love?  Always!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Save Print
Homemade Graham Crackers
Author: 
Serves: makes 24 3 x 3½ -inch crackers
 
Ingredients
  • 1 ¼ cups whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, white whole wheat or spelt flour
  • 1 ¼ cups brown rice flour (or just use all wheat/spelt flour)
  • ½ cup coconut palm sugar, sucanat or brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup milk, non-dairy milk or water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor or mixer, pulse or stir the dry ingredients until combined.
  3. Add the butter pieces to the dry mixture and pulse or process until it looks like coarse meal.
  4. Add the honey, water, and vanilla and process until a ball of dough comes together. Pull the ball of dough out of the food processor and cut it in half. It is a very soft dough. But if it’s super sticky or if your kitchen is warm, refrigerate the dough 30 minutes.
  5. Roll out one ball of dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a 10 x 12” rectangle or about ⅛” thick. Remove the top sheet of parchment and slide the bottom sheet of parchment with the rolled out dough to a baking sheet. With a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut the dough into rectangles. If desired, prick the dough with the tines of a fork to create the classic graham cracker “dots.” Repeat with second ball of dough.
  6. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the edges are starting to turn brown. Remove from oven and cut crackers again along the same lines with a pizza wheel or knife. Allow to cool on the pans for about 2 minutes. Separate crackers from each other and cool on racks. If some crackers seem a little thicker than others, put them back in the warm oven with the heat OFF for 10 more minutes and up to an hour. This will dry them out a bit and ensure that they will be crispy.
  7. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Notes
To make gluten-free graham crackers, use 2 ½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, such as King Arthur plus ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum in place of the wheat and rice flours.

 

What the spelt?

I love to bake healthful treats for my family and typically my go-to flour is derived from wheat.  Because they are unrefined and have a nice, earthy flavor, I rely a lot on whole wheat pastry flour as well as white whole wheat and traditional whole wheat in my recipes.  Wheat flours have a considerable amount of gluten, a protein which helps provide your baked good with structure and elasticity.  But there is a whole world of other whole grain flours which can be very satisfying to work with.

Spelt flour, in particular, is one I am using more and more.  Spelt berries, which are milled into spelt flour, are a very ancient grain related to wheat berries.  In fact, spelt is older than many wheat hybrids.  According to “The World’s Healthiest Foods,” spelt offers a broader spectrum of nutrients compared to many of its more inbred cousins in the Triticum (wheat) family. It is an excellent source of manganese, and a good source of protein, copper, and zinc.  Another significant benefit is that some people who are sensitive to wheat can tolerate spelt.  Spelt is not gluten-free, however, so if you are gluten-intolerant or if you have Celiac disease, spelt is not for you.

Spelt has a much lower gluten content than wheat, but it has enough to keep your baked goods from falling apart.  Less gluten can be beneficial for a number of reasons.  Spelt ends up being much easier to digest than wheat and produces a more tender crumb (gluten can make things tough.)  Tenderness is something I want in muffins, quick breads, pancakes and pie crusts, so spelt flour is great to use in these recipes.  Spelt flour is also really easy to work with, most of the time I just substitute it one-for-one with wheat flour.  Technically spelt flour is more water soluble than wheat flour, which means you will need to use less liquid in a recipe.  I’m really too lazy to calculate any conversions and I haven’t had any issues thus far.

Another reason I love spelt flour, especially whole spelt flour, is that it tastes nutty, but almost sweet.  Because I don’t use a lot of sweeteners in my baking, this can be a welcome advantage.  Sometimes whole wheat flours can have a slight bitter aftertaste, especially in recipes where there is no sugar to provide some balance.  But the “sweetness” in spelt still works in savory recipes like tart crusts without competing with the other flavors.

Keep in mind that spelt flour is sold like wheat flour, refined, unrefined and/or sprouted.  I tend to stick with whole (unrefined) spelt flour for almost all my baking, but I do prefer pastry crusts made with white (refined) spelt flour.  I was able to find a sprouted spelt flour in NY and made the most delicious pancakes with it.  You can also buy spelt berries which are cooked like other whole grains such as barley or rice.  I tend to use spelt, farro and barley very interchangeably.  Mr. Picky’s favorite bread for toast is Rudi’s spelt bread which contains no seeds of any kind, thank you.  We also love their whole spelt tortillas.  Very recently, I have been making spelt pasta more often than any other kind, and everyone loves it!  I would love to hear from you if you have experimented with spelt or have any favorite spelt products.  In the meantime, a good place to start is with my recipes for Whole Grain Buttermilk Pancakes (the ones pictured above were Mr. Picky’s with mini-chocolate chips), Carrot Cake, Zucchini-Blueberry Bread, and last summer’s Stone Fruit Crostata (pictured below).  You should also check out two of my favorite cookbooks which contain some fabulous spelt recipes, “Good to the Grain,” by Kim Boyce and “Ancient Grains for Modern Meals,” by Maria Speck.  Enjoy!