Semmelknödel (Bavarian Bread Dumplings)

 

Let me preface this post by telling you that I'm not an expert on German Dumplings. In fact, I have had a love/hate relationship with them my whole life. As a kid I grew up with a few different versions of dumplings or "Klösse" as we like to call them. I love Semmelknödel, which are made out of stale bread and what this post is about, but hated every time my mom or dad would make the traditional ones that are made with potatoes. Something about the texture and taste used to throw me off and I would spend quite a few Sunday dinners eating a piece of bread alongside my roast while the rest of the family would enjoy their dumplings. These days I will eat them if I visit my mom, but it is nothing I go out of my way to fix myself unless my husband requests them. He seems to be going back and forth between the potato kind and the bread kind and this year he thankfully chose the latter which I enjoy eating.

Semmelknödel, or bread dumplings are served throughout Bavaria in most restaurants. It is a great way to use up stale Semmeln or Brötchen which are similar to Kaiser Rolls here in America and they make for a pretty economic meal this way. My favorite part about these dumplings growing up was the second day, when my mom would use the leftovers, cut them up and fried them in a pan until both sides were nice and crispy. We were always looking forward to that.
Cooking dumplings is actually quite an art and I'll be the first to admit that because of cooking them so infrequently, I'm not as good at making them as my mom or grandpa are. Forming them properly so they keep their shape and being able to cook them is a little harder then you might think. The salt water to cook the formed dumplings in has to be just perfect. It has to be hot enough to cook them through, but it also can't boil or they will disintegrate, the water needs to be right around the simmer point and stay there with a consistent heat.

Since I can't get my hands on great rolls here, I started using a french baguette when I make these dumplings at home. The texture comes pretty close to a traditional German Brötchen and after sitting on the counter for about a day prior, the bread is perfect. The baguette is sliced thinly and soaked in lukewarm milk and some salt for about 30 minutes which will help soften the bread. Meanwhile, onion and fresh parsley are sauteed in a bit of butter. After the bread is nice and soft the sauteed veggies are added to the bread bowl along with seasonings, eggs and flour. Everything is mixed well together (clean hands are your best tool for this) and the "dough" is set aside to rest for another 20 minutes. With wet hands round dumplings the size of a baseball are formed and carefully placed in hot salted water which is where they will cook for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. The easiest way to test for doneness is to take one out and cut it in half to make sure the inside is cooked thoroughly. Once cooked, they are removed with a slotted spoon and served immediately. 

My Semmelknödel might not be the prettiest and they pale in comparison to the way my mom's look, but they are darn tasty and are the perfect side dish for any kind of roast with gravy like my German Sauerbraten. I hope I have intrigued you enough to give another German classic a try and you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Semmelknödel (Bavarian Bread Dumplings)

 ~makes 6 dumplings~
 (Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 french Baguette (about 10 oz./300 g), cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 3/4 cups lukewarm milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon butter

4 tablespoons onion, minced

4 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

3 large eggs

2 - 4 tablespoons flour

Directions:

Cut baguette into slices. Place the slices in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and pour lukewarm milk evenly over the bread. Cover bowl and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile melt butter in a small pan, add onion and parsley and saute for about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

After 30 minutes add the sauteed onion and parsley to your soaked bread along with another 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add in the eggs and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix until well combined. If the dough appears really wet at this point add another tablespoon or two of flour.

Cover bowl again and let rest for another 20 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce the heat of the water so it is simmering, but not boiling. With wet hands start forming your dumplings (baseball sized) and carefully place them into the water. After all your dumplings are formed, you might have to bring the water temperature up temporarily, but make sure it won't boil or your dumplings will fall apart. Add the lid to your pot, but keep the lid cracked.  After about 20 minutes the dumplings should be cooked. Remove one and check for doneness. If the inside is still a little "gooey" return the dumpling and cook for another couple of minutes. Remove all dumplings with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen family recipe

Peanut Butter French Toast

 

Our weekday mornings are hectic to say the least. Everyone is leaving at different times, there is madness galore with people looking for backpacks, water bottles, or homework, and we don't have any time to sit down as a family to enjoy a breakfast together. I usually make sure to have an assortment of cereals in the pantry and also muffins or breakfast burritos in the freezer for quick on-the-go eating. So when the weekend finally arrives, we like to slow things down a bit and enjoy breakfast or brunch as a family.  Weekend breakfasts are a great opportunity to "splurge" a little and eat something we wouldn't normally have for breakfast during the week. It also means, that we can usually skip lunch that day which frees up some time for me in the kitchen as well.

For these special breakfasts, I like to make things like pancakes, waffles, quiches or french toast. Last Sunday felt like a french toast kind of morning, so I looked on the fabulous internet for a recipe. I didn't have to look further than allrecipes.com, which is a great source for so many dishes. I wanted a french toast that was a bit different than our old standby, but something that still could be made quickly and that I knew the kids would enjoy. That is when this Peanut Butter French Toast caught my eye. After reading some of the reviews and the trouble people had in incorporating the peanut butter into the milk and egg mixture, I knew what would solve this problem. I decided to add all the ingredients into my blender just like I did with my peanut butter ice cream a while back, and again this worked like a charm. Fantastic smooth batter ready for dipping. I also decided to go with a typical french bread cut on an angle rather than a plain white bread. After frying the battered bread in a bit of butter, I added sliced bananas along with maple syrup to each portion to complete the presentation.


This recipe would have made Elvis proud, in fact, I think he would have been "All shook up" about it! It was simply wonderful. The bread was cooked perfectly with just a hint of peanut butter, without  it being overpowering. The bananas and the maple syrup were definitely the icing on the cake french toast. All plates were practically licked clean, everyone was very happy and tummy's were full . So, if peanut butter and french toast are your kind of breakfast as well, I would definitely give this recipe a try, it certainly is a new favorite in our home, and has already been requested again.

Peanut Butter French Toast
(adapted from allrecipes.com)
(Printable Recipe)


Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 slices French bread
Butter or oil for frying
Sliced banana
Maple syrup


Preparation:


In a blender add milk, eggs, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Blend until smooth.


Heat the butter or oil in a griddle or frying pan over medium heat.


Dunk each slice of bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides. Place in pan, and cook on each side until golden. Serve hot with sliced bananas and maple syrup.

Ice Cream Fridays: Banana Cajeta Cashew Gelato

Welcome to another edition of Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see. Who knows, you might just get lucky and it will be featured the following week.

Sometimes my friends get a kick out of supplying me with an ingredient and letting me "loose" in the kitchen to come up with a dish. This is how today's ice cream flavor came about. My friend Laura supplied me graciously with some Cajeta. Cajeta is sweetened goat's milk that is cooked until thick and dark in color, like Dulce de Leche, it is also very popular in Mexico. It is quite delicious by itself drizzled over the top of plain vanilla ice cream, but I knew I wanted to find something that really integrated the flavor.

This is where one of my ice cream books came to play. While my daughter was flipping through the pages one day she got very excited when she came across this Banana Cajeta Cashew Gelato. She showed it to me, thinking it would certainly fit the bill for working the ingredient into a great dessert. Boy, was she right. What made this even better was the cashews which I had received from Oh!Nuts. All I needed to do was make the ice cream base. I still had some ripe bananas left over from my banana cake so I was covered.  The ice cream starts by making a plain vanilla base. After chilling it thoroughly, ripe bananas are blended with half of the mixture until smooth before mixing it with the rest of the base. The mix is then frozen in your ice cream maker, and finally towards the end, chopped cashews are added to the Gelato. Upon layering the finished mix in your freezer bowl, cajeta is drizzled over the top and then quickly swirled in before freezing.

This was a very different but wonderful flavor combination. The kids didn't care for the cajeta by itself, but once integrated into the ice cream they went crazy for it. I'm really glad my friend introduced me to an unknown product which I ended up liking a lot. In case you can't find cajeta readily available, I'm including a recipe on how to make it yourself. However, if the thought of goat milk caramel is just a bit too exotic for you, the cajeta can be simply replaced with Dulce de Leche and you will still be left with a delicious ice cream.

Banana Cajeta Cashew Gelato
(adapted from Ciao Bella)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

Plain Base (recipe to follow)
2 ripe bananas, chilled
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted cashews
1/2 cup Cajeta, slightly warmed (recipe to follow)

Preparation:

Make the Plain Base and chill as directed.

Place the bananas, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender and add half of the base. Blend until smooth, then whisk into the remaining base.  Pour the mixture into the container of an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the cashews 5 minutes before the churning is completed.

Just after churning, drizzle the cajeta over the top and quickly and lightly swirl in a zigzag pattern with a spoon or butter knife.

Plain Base
 


2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar


In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Place over medium low heat and cook, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn't form, until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges and the mixture reaches a temperature of 170 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in the sugar until it is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly pouring in the hot milk mixture while whisking continuously. Return the custard to the saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it reaches a temperature of 185 degrees F. Do not bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so. to cool the custard quickly, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water and placing the bowl with the custard in it; stir the custard until cooled. Once completely cooled, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.


Cajeta
(makes about 3 cups)

2 cups goat's milk
2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, preferably Mexican
1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the dissolved baking soda. When the bubbling stops, return the pan to the heat, bring back to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, for 1 hour, or until the mixture starts to thicken and turn golden. At this point the cajeta will start to thicken fast, so don't leave the pan unattended. Continue to cook stirring constantly so it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan, for another 20 minutes, or until the cajeta is a  rich brown color and thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. It should cool to a medium- thick caramel consistency. If it's too thick, add a samll amount of water; if ti's too think continue to cook until thickened.

Transfer to a container, let cool, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Warm slightly before serving. It will keep for about 1 month in the refrigerator.

Ice Cream Fridays: Nutella Ice Cream with Frangelico

Welcome to another edition of Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday during the next few months (or until I get tired of it) you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see. Who knows, you might just get lucky and it will be featured the following week.

Since July is National Ice Cream month, which was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, lots and lots of ice cream recipes have been popping up all over the blog world. At least once a day, I will have one ice cream recipe made by one of the blogs I read pop up. Trying to come up with different flavors is actually becoming harder and harder. You can find any and everything from plain vanilla and chocolate to the very fancy ice creams, some even containing basil, lavender or other exotic flavorings, on all kinds of blogs.

So this week I decided to keep it easy and simple, and make a quick ice cream that did not require me to turn on my stove, which right now with temperatures well over 110 degrees, is a welcome relief. A blender is all you need for this ice cream. I was looking all over the place for a good recipe including one of my all-time favorites: Nutella. If you have never had it, you're missing out big time on this delectable chocolate hazelnut cream that originated in Italy. I couldn't settle on one single recipe, so I decided to combine a few that I found, and make it my own. One of the recipes called for vodka, but being the "rebel" that I am I decided to use a liqueur that I thought would complement this ice cream so much better, hence the Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur.

The ingredients are simply put in a blender, mixed up and then chilled for a while in the refrigerator before churning them in an ice cream maker. 

The result; a most wonderful creamy ice cream that reminded me a lot of gianduja gelato, which is one of my all-time favorites. This ice cream was so good, I could easily eat it every day. Even my chocolate hating husband was in love with this one, and that to me is the best compliment ever.

If you are as excited about Nutella as I am, then this ice cream is most definitely a requirement to make!

Nutella Ice Cream with Frangelico

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Nutella

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups milk (I used 1 %)

2-3 tablespoons Frangelico

Preparation:

In a blender add the Nutella, sugar, heavy cream, milk, and Frangelico. Mix until well blended. Refrigerate mixture for about 3 hours, or until well chilled.

Churn ice cream according to your ice cream manufacturer's directions.

Freeze for 4 hours before serving.

Goat Cheese Polenta

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I love to "collect" side dishes. To me a great side dish goes a long way in complimenting an otherwise boring cut of meat. It can breath new life into chicken, pork, beef, or seafood. A good side dish is key to completing a meal, no matter if it is a salad, a veggie, or a starchy recipe.

Polenta for me has been mostly reserved for ordering at restaurants. I've made it a few times at home as well, but didn't care for it as much as I did when ordering out. It was almost tasteless and the consistency wasn't as appealing. Well, all that has all changed with this recipe. This Polenta was so good, that if I could have eaten it for a week straight I would have. I'm on a renewed quest to find more recipes for Polenta since it was so well received all the way around.

I found this recipe in a Cuisine at Home weeknight grilling magazine. On first glance the recipe is a very small blip on a page that featured a grilled pork tenderloin. In fact, it would have been easy to overlook if it wouldn't have been for my son who pointed it out to me. At first I wasn't excited, considering my previous experience with cooking Polenta at home, but after looking at the recipe I figured why not.

To make this dish, cornmeal is cooked in chicken broth and milk until it has reached the desired consistency. A generous helping of goat cheese, which added a little bit of tartness, and a little heavy cream for the final touch make this recipe irresistible. It was smooth, creamy and decadent all at the same time. The texture was spot-on as well. Definitely a restaurant worthy dish that I would have no problem serving to company. I served this along side grilled pork tenderloin which was a wonderful accompaniment.

The whole family could not get enough of this Goat Cheese Polenta, and all I had to account for was empty bowls after the meal. I can't wait to make this again, it was that good!

Goat Cheese Polenta
(adapted from "Cuisine at Home")
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 1%)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup cornmeal
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

Bring broth, milk, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, then gradually whisk in cornmeal. Cook until thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in goat cheese and cream.

Ice Cream Fridays: Coconut-Almond Gelato and Giveway Winner Announcement

Welcome to another edition of Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday during the next few months (or until I get tired of it) you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see. Who knows, you might just get lucky and it will be featured the following week.

Remember when I told you a few weeks ago that I was so excited about my coconut ice cream flavor that I made two different ice creams containing coconut? Well, today I'm featuring the second one, an Almond Joy Gelato inspired by one of my favorite candy bars.

Really, is there any way to go wrong with coconut, almonds, and chocolate? I didn't think so, and when I found this recipe in yet another fantastic ice cream book, The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto  I couldn't have been happier.

This recipe starts pretty much like most ice creams I've made in the last few weeks, with a cooked custard. Only difference is, the milk and cream proportions get reversed, which means less fat in the finished dessert. The cooked custard is then cooled in the refrigerator before adding almond extract and coconut. The base is then churned in your ice cream maker, and right before it finishes, toasted almonds and chopped up semi-sweet (or bitter-sweet) chocolate are added to the mix.

This is a great recipe that was really tasty. I enjoyed it and so did my two older kids. Unfortunately my youngest and husband didn't care for it as much as some of the other recipes I have made. If there is one tiny complaint about this recipe it is definitely the "chew-factor". A small portion goes a long way since your jaw will get quite the workout from all the add-ins, but then maybe I'm just a wimp who enjoys a smoother ice cream.

But if Almond Joy is your candy of choice, this is a definite must-make recipe!
(Recipe after the winner announcement)

And now for the  $40.00 csn stores Giveaway Winner which was picked by Random.org:

Congratulations to 

Jessica from Sugar High

csn stores will contact you by email with the certificate code, enjoy your shopping trip!

Coconut-Almond Gelato
(adapted from The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto)
(Printable Recipe)


Ingredients:

Plain Base (recipe to follow)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
2 ounces coarsely chopped bitter or semi-sweet chocolate

Preparation:

Make the Plain Base and refrigerate as directed.

After the base has thoroughly chilled gently whisk in the almond extract, then stir in the coconut. Pour the mixture into the container of an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacture's instructions. Add the almonds and chocolate 5 minutes before the churning is completed. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.



Plain Base

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar

Preparation:

In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Place over medium low heat and cook, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn't form, until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges and the mixture reaches a temperature of 170 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in the sugar until it is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly pouring in the hot milk mixture while whisking continuously. Return the custard to the saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it reaches a temperature of 185 degrees F. Do not bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so. to cool the custard quickly, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water and placing the bowl with the custard in it; stir the custard until cooled. Once completely cooled, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Blackberry Cheesecake Milkshake

 

I adore Milkshakes, and so does my family. The last one I made was a Toasted Marshmallow one and boy was it ever a hit, not just at home, but also on this blog. Not quite sure if that wonderful tasting shake could be topped, I set out to look for another unique shake to be served on a hot day.

Bobby Flay and his great summer time book: Burgers, Fries and Shakes came to the rescue once again.  I have made quite a few recipes out of this book already and we have not been disappointed with any of them. Some of his recipes are a little more involved, but so far the additional effort has been very well worth it.

This shake starts by making a fruit base. Bobby believes that the fresh fruit is more concentrated and more consistent in flavor by turning it into a jam like consistency before adding it to the shake. Cream cheese and a good quality vanilla ice cream add the final touch to bring out the "cheesecake" quality. I made two versions of this milkshake, one without alcohol for the kids which was incredible and one for the adults which got a little boost by adding Creme de Cassis to the milkshake. With that addition, the shake was taken completely over the top and was unbelievably rich and delicious.

This milkshake was worth the little extra trouble of making the "jam" and is full of delicious blackberry flavor. I would not change a thing about this milkshake, and will be making this one with other fruit variations in the future as well. I can see so many wonderful combinations from blueberry, to raspberry and strawberry. Low-fat cream cheese is always an option to cut back on some calories, but I would advise against low-fat ice cream. They tend to be pumped full of air and by the time you have the same quantity needed, you have used almost double the amount which kind of negates any calorie savings you thought you might have had.

This is a wonderful summertime treat and I'll hope you try this recipe!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's awesome giveaway! You don't want to miss it!

Blackberry Cheesecake Milkshake

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fresh fruit base made with blackberries (recipe to follow)

1/4 cup whole milk

3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

9 ounces premium vanilla ice cream (about 1 1/2 packed cups)

Fresh blackberries, for garnish

Optional: 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) creme de cassis or blackberry liqueur

Directions:

Combine the fruit base, milk, cream cheese, and lemon zest in a blender and blend until slightly smooth, about 5 seconds. Add the ice cream and blend until smooth about 10 seconds. Serve immediately, garnished with blackberries.

Fresh Fruit Base

~makes about 1 1/4 cups~

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, or a mixture

3 to 4 tablespoons sugar (depending on sweetness of the berries)

3 tablespoons strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, or raspberry jam

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Put the berries in a bowl (hull strawberries), add 3 tablespoons sugar, and gently stir to combine. Let the berries sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or until they start to soften and release their juices.

Transfer the mixture to a medium nonreactive saucepan, add the jam,  and cook over medium-high heat until slightly softened. Coarsely mash the berries using a potato masher or the back of a fork and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste the mixture and add the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, if needed, stirring to dissolve. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until cold and thickened, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. The fruit base can be frozen (in 1/2-cup portions, if desired) for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Adapted from: Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

Breakfast time is serious business at our home. My kids are unhappy if there isn't a good variety to choose from. They are quite satisfied if I have a couple of cereals to chose from or my breakfast burritos are in the freezer. I also tend to make muffins and freeze those for easy grab and go breakfasts, but with the temperatures outside being already hot in the morning, breakfast isn't as appealing as usually.

Since I believe that a well balanced breakfast is important to start the day right, I'm trying to come up with different choices for those already steamy mornings. This is where the Strawberry Oatmeal Smoothie comes in handy. This smoothie is very easy to make, super filling, and perfect even if you are on the go.

The ingredients in this smoothie harmonize well together, but it also lends itself to a variety of different ingredients. Look at it like a blank canvas and just pick and choose whatever sounds good to you and your family. For example: soy milk, replace it with regular milk or almond milk. Don't care for bananas? Use a different fruit. Don't have strawberries? Go with raspberries or blackberries. Instead of honey, use brown sugar, white sugar, maple syrup or agave nectar. The possibilities are endless.

This smoothie has been a staple for breakfast and even a few lunches for a couple of weeks now, and so far the kids have not grown tired of it and all it's endless combinations. The recipe makes 1 very large or two smaller smoothies but can easily be doubled. 

I hope you'll give this smoothie a try and enjoy it for your next breakfast as much as we do.

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

 ~makes 2~
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup Vanilla soy milk (I use the light kind)

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 banana, broken into chunks

14 frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 to 1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

In a blender add rolled oats. Process until almost powder like. Add soy milk, yogurt, banana, strawberries and blueberries, vanilla and honey. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

What better way to celebrate the warmer days than with a great ice cold milk shake, a toasted marshmallow milkshake that is. This milkshake is everything and more you could ever imagine a good shake should taste like. On your first try you think it is like a really good vanilla milkshake but on your second taste you realize it has a much more complex flavor.

I found this recipe in one of my newest favorite books for the summer, Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes. This book has so far exceeded my expectations, and I'm looking forward to trying many more recipes out of it.

The recipe calls for only 3 ingredients: marshmallows, milk, and vanilla ice cream; that's it. The magic happens when it all comes together. One word of advice, do NOT walk away from your oven while the marshmallows are toasting, they brown very quickly.

I think once you have had this shake, you might have a hard time going back to regular vanilla shakes; it is that good.

I hope you'll give this one a try, it sure was a crowd pleaser in our house!

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

~makes one 16-ounce or two 8-ounce shakes~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

9 large marshmallows

1/4 cup whole milk (I used 1 % and it tasted fine)

11 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups packed) vanilla ice cream

Additional toasted marshmallows, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Arrange the marshmallows flat on the baking sheet and place under the broiler until the tops are a deep golden brown color, about 40 seconds. Remove from the oven, carefully turn the marshmallows over, and broil until they are deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Combine the marshmallows and milk in a blender and blend for 5 seconds. Add the ice cream and blend until smooth, about 10 seconds. Serve immediately.

Adapted from: Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes