Tag: fresh herbs

Savory Tomato Basil Coffee Cake

Savory Tomato Basil Coffee Cake: You are going to love this inspired recipe. It re-invents coffee cake.

Fresh herbs, tomatoes and a gluten-free batter combine to make a buzz-worthy brunch feature that will wow your friends and family. The taste is complex, flavorful, and goes great with cup of coffee.

You even bake it in the same 9×9-inch pan in which many coffee cakes are baked. Sign me up for this savory dish. Stat!

I first found this recipe at Sweet Laurel. It sounded genius, so I made it, and confirmed, yes, it truly is genius. Its taste blew my mind. I just varied a few parts and the process. For instance, I feature basil instead of parsley in the gremolata, used for the basil sauce and crumble/streusel. I also used Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and added parmesan to the batter and topping. I didn’t roast my tomatoes in the oven, but instead, made them on the stove. Either way works.

The cake’s only sweetness comes from cherry tomatoes. I sauteed them. As a result, they start to caramelize, which brings out their natural sugars, and a more intense flavor.

Fresh Basil Sauce & Crumble

With fresh basil, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice, you make a gremolata. Gremolata, a condiment of sorts, that’s more commonly made with parsley, versus basil. Adding extra virgin olive oil to the gremolata, turns it into a basil sauce. You drizzle that between two layers of the batter.

The magic comes, when you take half of that basil sauce, and add almond flour, turning it into a crumb topping.

You top the cake with this crumble, along with the sauteed tomatoes, and parmesan.

The gremolata is a surprise and complex part of this dish, especially as a sauce and when it morphs into a streusel. If you want to try a full gremolata recipe, use ours here. You can change it to any fresh herb, if desired.

The batter itself for this creative coffee cake, has almond flour, making it gluten free. Almond milk, Greek yogurt, eggs, and parmesan give the cake added moisture and a tender, but hearty texture. Baking soda and baking powder give the cake its lift.

On a follow-up trail, I made a shortened version of this recipe:

Use an 8×8-inch pan
Use 1/2 the tomatoes
Use half the gremolata and just make the crumble.
All else can stay the same.

I was quite pleased how this savory tomato basil coffee cake turned out, both ways that I made it. Give it a try. We highly recommend it!

-Cyndi

Best Homemade Gremolata Recipe

The best homemade gremolata recipe is whatever version you love. Maybe you have multiple favorites. Or maybe you’ve never tried gremolata.

Gremolata is a condiment, or more descriptively, it is a fresh herb seasoning mix. It’s zippy, delicious, and easy to change up with different ingredients.

The best homemade gremolata recipe brightens anything you pair it with, from tofu and veggies to fish or chicken. I put it on burgers, eggs, and my personal favorite: avocado toast. Bring on the yum!

I make my salads sing by mixing it in fresh greens and other veggies. My friend Tabitha ate her sample bowl as its own salad. I’ve even used it as a salsa and dip with tortilla chips or crackers. That’s just how tasty it is!

It takes tofu steaks from tasting decent to tasting absolutely delicious.

Gremolata is the ultimate flavor booster. It’s like a sister to pesto or a cousin of chimichurri. And it is deceivingly simple to make.

Classic Gremolata: 3 Ingredients

1 cup parsley leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic (or to taste), minced
Lemon zest

That short list sums up all that’s needed for a basic gremolata.

From there, you can add or change things up in any way you see fit. It may not technically be a gremolata with the changes, but that’s just semantics.

Traditionally, gremolata is served on top of the veal dish, Ossobuco, but honestly, I’ve never had that dish.

Gremolata Variations (Mix In Ideas)

The beauty of gremolata is how adaptable it is. The first time I made it, I used mint instead of parsley. I had an abundance and wasn’t about to let it go to waste. As I prepped and chopped the ingredients, I fell in love with gremolata before I even tasted it. It smelled amazing!

Soon I was dreaming up dozens of variations. The first was to add crunch and heat.

Then I did a basil version.

Followed by a mint/parsley combo. The ideas kept coming. The possibilities are endless.

Gremolata Variations

Trust me. Gremolata can breathe life into anything blasé. Beyond the parsley, garlic, and lemon, these are some of the ingredients I’ve experimented with and enjoy the most. Use them to add dimensions to the classic gremolata, or to completely re-imagine it.

mint, cilantro, basil, tarragon, or any fresh herb
peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios, pecans, or sunflower seeds
chives, shallots, or scallions
dried fruit, honey, or agave
radishes or jalapenos

That all said, my go-to remains the recipe I share below. It features mint, garlic, almonds, spring onions, red pepper flakes, and extra virgin olive oil. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Cyndi

Savory Butternut Squash Carrot Pie

This Butternut Squash Carrot Pie is a savory dish you can savor all winter long. It is comfort food at its finest. It’s also vegetarian. The squash and carrot filling is flavored by cumin, butter, salt, and pepper. Its topped with caramelized onions and fresh sage.

At the 2013 Minnesota State Fair, this recipe stood out to us…from Susan Gran, winner for “best savory pie” (Pillsbury contest). Try it out. We did. And wow!

Here’s what it looks like before you put it in the oven.

You can even do individual portions in cupcake tins. Just bake it for less time of course.

And here I walk you through some of the main steps. I made the filling a day ahead and doubled the batch. I had a good feeling about this one.

First I chopped up the squash and carrots and got them roasting.

I used butternut squash but acorn or even pumpkin would work well too, depending on your tastes.

You toss the squash and carrots with olive oil, salt, pepper and one of my favorite spices, cumin. (I also added cayenne, because heat is a close friend of mine.) You can make the caramelized onions ahead of time too.

Delish Dinner Party Main Dish

Once the squash and carrots were roasted, I pureed the filling with the other key ingredients. If you don’t have a food processor, try a stick blender instead. At this point I put it in my fridge for my dinner party the next day.

When party time came I rolled out my pre-made pie crust and made a full-size pie. Depending on the size of your squash and carrots, you may have extra filling. You can also do cut-outs for mini pies. We did and it worked like a charm.

This butternut squash carrot pie is a colorful recipe, with the vibrant squash contrasting with the fresh sage on top.

There were no leftovers, but the minis would have made terrific to-go lunches. Guess I will have to make them again! And soon. You should give them a try too.

Watch for more savory dishes in the coming months. You can search our site for your favorite ingredients or filter recipes by category here.

Bake it great!

-Cyndi