Highly Experimental

Amazing rich mushroom gravy- no flour, no fat added!

2015-08-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

I put together this tasty little gem after we tired of grilling lean turkey burgers and we realllly wanted some sauce for the amazing brown rice pasta I just found on Amazon. I was scared of pasta alternatives because I had tried a couple here and there and they just made me sad. But the reviews for this stuff were amazing, so I said what the hell. This is what it looks like and you can read the reviews for yourself here:

You know how everyone says that a lot of rare meats taste "just like chicken"? Well, I have to say- this stuff actually tastes just like regular pasta. You have to be careful with the cooking time, though. I cooked it for about 9 minutes, although it suggested 11-13 minutes. I just kept tasting to check for the right texture- which happened to be right around the 9 minute mark. I drained it and actually chose to rinse it in cold water. This is *not* something I would usually do with regular pasta, because the starch is great for catching and holding on to sauce. But in this case, reviews had said it could get mushy, and I really wanted to make sure it stopped cooking. So I gave it a quick rinse with a shot of cold water, and it turned out perfect. There was no odd flavor or aftertaste, and the texture was just what you would expect from a normal wheat-based pasta.

Ok, now that I got to get in my excitement about my new pasta, let's talk gravy.

Mushroom Gravy: Ingredients

~8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced

- 1/2 large onion, diced

- 4 cups broth- I used beef here and loved the meaty beef and mushroom combo, but you could also switch up the flavors and use chicken or veggie broth.

- Rosemary- fresh or dried,to taste. I used ~ 1/2 tbsp

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Arrowroot or cornstarch

You need to start by browning the onions and mushrooms. Depending on your diet restrictions, you can a) use a bit of olive oil, b) spray the pan with some cooking spray, or c) cook the onions and mushrooms by putting a bit of broth in the pan at the beginning to keep everything from sticking.

In the photos here, I used a shot of cooking spray, no additional oil or fat was added. I also used my magical Bialetti ceramic pan....

Once you have decided on your method, add that plus the mushrooms, onions, and a healthy dose of salt and pepper. Cook the onions and mushrooms over medium heat until they brown- you may even see some of the browned bits start to stick to the bottom of the pan. You want to take this opportunity to develop some serious flavor. The browning will make the veggies caramelize- the natural sugars in the onions will make them taste sweet, and the mushrooms will develop a savory meaty flavor.

Once the onions and mushrooms are nicely browned, pour in 3 1/2 cups of broth, reserving the other 1/2 cup for later. Add in the rosemary. If you're using fresh rosemary, remove the leaves from the stem and give it a nice chop. If you're using dry, I would also suggest either chopping the rosemary or using a mortar/pestle to grind it down a bit. This is also personal taste- I just don't like chewing larger pieces of dried rosemary.... but I love the flavor. I used a mortar and pestle and just ground it down until it was mostly powder.

Bring the sauce to a boil. Then turn it down to medium-low heat and let it cook.....

And cook....

Until it reduces by about 1/4 (approximately 15-20 minutes):

At this point, you could eat it as-is and it would be super tasty, but not very thick. You could continue to reduce it, but by further condensing the flavors, you might end up with an overly salty sauce. The other option is to use arrowroot or cornstarch, which is what I did here. The final 1/2 cup of broth was set aside for this purpose- use that to make a slurry with the cornstarch or arrowroot. The broth should be at least room temperature, if not cool, to be the most effective. Stir this mixture right at the end- if you continue cooking at a medium heat or bring the sauce to a boil after adding it, it may reduce the effectiveness of the thickener.

Mix in enough of the slurry to get the consistency you want. Since you are using broth instead of water, it shouldn't water down your mixture- but may want to taste to see if any additional seasonings should be added prior to serving.

And voila! That's it! No added fat or flour and you can have rich, creamy myshroom gravy. T was craving salisbury steak (which neither of us has had in years), so we grilled some seasoned burger patties and then smothered that and the awesome brown rice pasta with the sauce. He dubbed it "the best salisbury steak he's ever had." Not sure what I'm being compared to, since most salisbury steaks come in frozen dinners...but I'll take it ;)

Savory french toast with tomatoes and basil

2015-08-18T09:08:00.001-07:00

Yum. Yumyumyumyumyumyumyum.

I have been struggling with coming up with some healthy breakfasts that fit into an Fast Metabolism Diet (FMD) Phase 1 box...For those of you unfamiliar, it requires a whole grain (often in the form of oats or sprouted grain bread in this phase) and a fruit, and most vegetables are allowed. However, there are to be no added fats. So egg yolks are out, as is olive oil. A lot of people rely on oat-based meals (for example, the pancakes here). But I can only eat so many oats and I was aching for something new. The FMD book has a recipe for egg-white french toast with strawberries that became my inspiration for this recipe- that combined with a heaping bowl of red and yellow cherry tomatoes from the garden and a beautiful pot of basil outside my front door.

For anyone not working within the FMD restrictions, this is still a dairy-free, no-added-fat recipe. You can even make it with gluten-free bread if your diet calls for reduced gluten. I used a sprouted spelt bread that we actually found at a local farmers' market over the weekend. On a sad note, I forgot to store the non-preservative-laced bread properly and it went bad after 4 days. Learn from my mistakes, people.

Here are the ingredients you will need for 2 servings of the healthy version (See the notes that follow at the end regarding variations that could be made):

2 slices of sprouted grain bread

Approximately 1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes

2 egg whites

Salt (ideally Himalayan sea salt)

Ground pepper

Chopped fresh basil

Optional:*(see note at bottom)

Sliced onion

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

other seasonings such as garlic or onion powder, cayenne or red pepper flakes, etc...

Let's start by talking about the tomatoes. So what I have in the picture below are my "dueling tomatoes." Since this phase calls for no added fat, and cutting down on fats (but not cutting out!) isn't a horrible idea in general, I wondered what would happen if I roasted tomatoes just by themselves, in a non-stick pan, naked-style. The pan on the left has tomatoes that have been sprayed with olive oil, and the right side is nekked. Both have a light dusting of sea salt. I roasted them side by side in a 400 deg F oven.

Dueling tomatoes

After about 15 minutes, the tomatoes on the right, the non-fat tomatoes, looked like this:

Zero fat added

Aren't those awesome?? All caramelized and sweet and juicy.... I didn't end up taking a picture of the other pan, unfortunately, but they looked basically the same. Verdict: oil or any additional fat = unnecessary for roasting tomatoes. The juices they release during the cooking process are sufficient for making really tasty tomatoes. Sweet.

I'm glad we have that all figured out. So while your fat-free tomatoes are getting all sweet and gooey in the oven, you can prep the bread. For each slice, make a mixture of egg white (1 egg white or 3 tbsp of cartoned egg whites), salt, and pepper. This is also where you can also add any other seasonings that you think might taste good. Just remember that they should go along with the roasted tomatoes, so nothing that would add any additional sweetness. Use a whisk to combine the spices and the egg white, getting the white a little frothy. Place the bread in the mixture and let it sit a bit before flipping, allowing the egg white to soak in. This will depend on the type of bread you're using. If it is a long piece from a bread loaf (like the one below), I would suggest slicing it in half to provide more soaking surface. If it's a thinner piece, like Ezekiel bread, if you let it soak too long it will just fall apart- so just use your best judgment. Warm your non-stick pan over medium heat and then add the soaked bread. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, allowing each side to get a crispy brown.

Browning the toast

Now here comes my favorite part: putting it all together.

First- the toast. Then the tomatoes, pressed down slightly with a fork to open them up and get them to stay put. Then the freshly chopped basil, finish with a touch of salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

At this point, you could eat it as-is and be super happy. Or this could also be the time for you to add any customizations you might want to experiment with. In the photo below, I added a drizzle of balsamic glaze (which I would argue should be a staple condiment in any home).

French toast #1

*I mentioned some optional items...

...Let's talk about those: The second time I made this, I decided it needed a hit of garlic. I didn't think about it in time to toss the garlic in with the tomatoes, so I sliced the garlic in half lengthwise and let it cook, cut side down, for a couple of minutes before I added the toast. I also rubbed the garlic over the pan to get the garlic flavor on the bottom of the pan prior to adding the soaked bread. By the time the french toast was done, the garlic was also a pleasant brown. I served it just on the side (as you can see in the photo below) and T and I just cut and ate pieces with it as we went along. I would even consider roasting the garlic (whole and peeled) with the tomatoes next time. If it gets soft enough, you can just spread it onto the bread. If not, I would just serve it on the side as I did above.

As you can also see in the picture below, I added onions the second time. When I put the tomatoes in the oven, I also added 3 full red onion slices, thinly cut (still no added fat), and laid them directly on top of the tomatoes. They softened up nicely and I really liked the way the onion cut the sweetness of the tomatoes.

French toast, take 2!

Some other options:

- If you just don't need/want/care to remove dairy or reduce fat, the flavor of this dish would likely be enhanced by adding those in. You could make more of a traditional french toast base by using a whole egg and about 1/4 c of milk, and then adding in your savory spices. Then you could cook it in a little bit of olive oil or melted butter. I still don't think you would need the oil on the tomatoes, but that's totally up to you.

- A drizzle of pesto instead of/in addition to the fresh basil would add a super flavorful punch. Standard pestos usually have olive oil, and some have parmesan and pine nuts, so this would only be FMD friendly in P3.

- Finally, if you're really feeling nutty, I bet a poached or overeasy egg on this dish would ROCK. Although I generally think yolky eggs make everything better...

I hope you enjoy this savory french toast. What's your favorite unusual breakfast dish?

Summer Simplicity

2015-08-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

A Happy Heirloom

When I first started this blog, I thought I could only really post fancy, complex, full dishes. As I have progressed and learned more about the kind of blog I really wanted to write, I have come to realize that things don't need to be elaborate or fancy to be blog-worthy. And as I look through some of the pictures I have taken of super simple dishes, I thought, "Hey, these deserve their moment in the spotlight, too!" I mean come on, just *look* at that tomato. What fancy thing could I possibly do to it that would make it taste better than it does straight off the vine?

So this post is a brief celebration of seasonal simplicity- a few of my favorite things that can be created in a matter of minutes, but can make you do the happy delicious dance just as much as something that takes an hour.

*You may also note that these items are pretty tomato-heavy. We went a little crazy with the tomato plants this year, but in the best way. We have heirlooms, red grape tomatoes, yellow cherries, lemon boys, and san marzanos. I add a handful of tomatoes to nearly every meal and no, we are actually not tired of them yet ;)

Tomatoes, jalapenos, lodi apples, and fresh mint- quite the backyard bounty!

When I pick a giant bowl of these gorgeous tomatoes, I can't imagine doing anything that would take away from their natural sweetness and acidity. A majority of the time, I just chop up a combination of what is on hand. The heirlooms are fruity, as are the yellow cherries- although the cherries have a hint more acidity, and the red grapes are bright with a great crispy bite to their skins.

So let's go through some of my favorite options. In putting together this post, I ended up with 3 tomato items and one blueberry thing. All take about 5 minutes and make you feel like summertime. (Yes, you can feel like summertime).

How gorgeous are these?

Let's start with the simplest.

- Tomatoes. Slice. Salt. I prefer maldon or other flaky salt if you have it. The crunch of the flakes is so satisfying and the pop of salt with the crisp tomato skin is the perfect combo.

- Good bread. This was a fresh farmer's market rye. We were feeling fancy that day so we used Kerrygold butter. Mmmmm.

And that's it. Fresh in-season tomatoes, salt, bread, butter.

The simplest

Just a hair more complex

- Fresh ground pepper

- Chopped fresh basil

- a drizzle of good olive oil. Like the kind you want to dip bread in... or just dip your finger in. It should be clean and fruity, or maybe even a little spicy. You can go crazy with some infused oils here if you want a little something extra (see what I use on the eggs below)

That's it. I serve this alongside eggs for breakfast, or even just on their own with some fresh toast and creamy butter. It also goes with pretty much anything you could think of for second breakfast, elevensies, lunch, dinner, or fourth meal.

Still pretty simple

Moving it up just a notch

This one involves actual heat and cooking, so it is technically a bit more "difficult". Tyson isn't the biggest fan of scrambled eggs (even though I rock a soft scramble), so I make him his requested over-medium egg. The egg is seasoned with sea salt and fresh black pepper, and laid over a piece of toast (that same awesome rye, in this case).

I mentioned infused oils above. This particular morning, I drizzled the bread with a Wild Dill olive oil that I got from Seasons here in Bethlehem, PA. I was so pleasantly surprised (as was Tyson) by the incredible level of dill flavor. That, plus the tomatoes tossed with salt, pepper, and a standard fruity olive oil made for a full-on-punch-you-in-the-face-with-summer breakfast.

Then I did the same thing for myself, but with a soft scramble instead of an over-easy egg. I wish I had had some chives or green onions on hand, but man...even without, this breakfast was rockin'. I would eat this all day, e'ry day.

And one non-tomato item:

Ok here it is: Summer as represented by blueberries. What does it involve?

-Toast. We love Ezekiel bread. It is so hearty and nutty, and makes you feel full and satisfied.

- Nut butter. This was an all-natural peanut, but almond or any other nut butter would be equally lovely.

- BLUEBERRIES. We live 5 minutes from a pick-your-own berry farm. If you have yet to experience a fresh-picked blueberry, STOP YOUR LIFE. Whatever you have going on, just put it on hold. Go find blueberries. And no, not the pint at the local grocery store. They won't give you what you need. You may not even know you need this, but trust me- you do. Fresh blueberries are an entirely different experience from what you get in a store. It's like each fat little berry is its own full fruit-yeah, I know that sounds silly, but try one and then tell me I'm wrong.

....Where was I? Right. Blueberries. Fresh ones. Pop them on top.

-Final touch- local honey. Drizzle that goodness over the top like a sweet icing on a toaster pastry. We initially started purchasing local honey because a) we like supporting local merchants and b)they cure allergies!

Ok, so it turns out the second reason is not actually supported by science. But we still like supporting local merchants and our honey lady has cool chickens we get to see when we go by her farm, so we're gonna keep doing that.

Well, these are a few of my favorite summertime preparations- they're nothing fancy, they just focus on really beautiful summer items and respecting the natural flavors of those items. I hope you try and enjoy them. I'll keep collecting some of these favorites and I'm sure I'll be back with more before the summer is out!

Garden Meatballs reincarnated

2015-08-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

I recently made a big batch of the FMD Garden Meatballs (recipe here). We had them for dinner one night with the tomato sauce and zucchini noodles I posted in that recipe, but by the next day I wanted something a little different. I decided to repurpose the items and mix it up a little bit. For lunch, we had stuffed zucchini boats, and for dinner, stuffed chicken roulade.

Meatballs = gone. Done and done. I find it much easier to follow a healthy diet when I don't let myself get bored. These two alternative uses for the meatballs are healthy, tasty, and definitely not boring!

Garden Meatball- Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Let's start with lunch: Cut two zucchinis in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds as well as a bit of the flesh- just enough to create a nice little zucchini boat. Lightly spray a baking pan with olive oil cooking spray*, lay the boats cut-side down on the sheet, and bake at 375 deg F for approximately 15 minutes. I was looking for both some caramelization on the cut side and for the squash to become tender. When I was able to press a fork through the back of the zucchini as they lay face-down, I decided they were ready to go.

While the boats are a-bakin', cook about 1/2 a cup of diced onion in a sautee pan with a little bit of olive oil ** (or broth if you're trying to stay low-fat) until they are slightly browned. Add four of those leftover meatballs, chopped up. Cook the mixture until warmed through, adding a bit more salt and pepper.

Now, if you haven't made those yummy meatballs,you can still make this happen***. Instead of just cooking down onion, add in whatever vegetables you have on hand. You can add diced carrots, celery, chopped spinach or kale... hell, maybe even some more zucchini (zucchini inside of zucchini...whoa...). If you decide to add anything more dense, like sweet potato, just make sure you start that thicker veggie first and then add the lighter items so they all end up cooked properly. Add salt and pepper, as well as whatever spice mix you're in the mood for. If you want to go italian, you can add garlic, basil, and oregano. If you're in more of a mexican mood, keep the garlic and then toss in some cumin and coriander. Cook until the veggies are tender and starting to get a bit of caramelization. Taste for seasoning and adjust as you see fit.

Once those veggies are all cooked and happy, add in your ground beef (or turkey, pork, tofu...whatever makes you have on hand). For just the 4 boats, you probably only need about 1/2 pound of meat. But if you're planning on making the roulades, I'm sure you will find a good use for any extra stuffing.

Spoon the filling into the boats and sit them on your baking sheet. Bake them at 375 deg F for about 10-15 minutes. You just want to get everything cooked through and to give the filling a chance to hang out with the zucchini and get all friendly-like.
Once you remove them from the oven, you can customize them. I chose to top mine with some of the leftover tomato sauce from the night before. You could also add some salsa or a nice drizzle of balsamic vinegar or glaze***. Enjoy!!

And behind Door #2: Meatball-stuffed Chicken Roulade

Moving on to dinner....A couple of months back, we had bought a pack of thin-sliced chicken breasts. We ate two and froze the rest. I decided this would be the perfect time to pull them from their icy home. For roulades, these thin breasts are incredibly handy. Pretty much the trickiest part of any stuffed meat dish is getting the inside of that meat cooked. I'm not gonna lie, the first one I made and cut into (my test breast, if you will), was still a little pink where the meat met the stuffing. But I fixed it. And no one got salmonella. Win.

First, preheat your oven to 350 deg F. That done, let's move on to the stuffing- I actually did the exact same thing as I did for the stuffing in the boats, so no additional work is needed here. Just use your leftovers from the boats or follow the instructions above.

Then it's time to prep your chicken. If you dont have the skinny ones lying around, you can easily thin out what you do have. Using a good sharp knife, slice through the middle of the breast length-wise. As you cut through, pull the top half up, slicing until you cut all of the way through and have two approximately equal-sized pieces. Then grab a meat mallet, heavy pan, or whatever heavy non-breakable item is in sight, and pound out the breasts until they are about 1/2 " thick all the way through. Try to make sure one end isn't thicker than the other so you get an even cook. Season both sides with S&P, as well as anything else that might please your taste buds.

Now, the amount of filling you place inside the chicken will depend on the size of your pieces. You want to be able to roll the sides of the chicken as well as the ends over the stuffing- much like a well-rolled burrito or egg roll. Spoon in the filling, roll up your chicken and close with a toothpick. I ended up making 4 breasts with the same amount of 4-meatball mix I made above, with a little filling left over.

In a sautee pan (ideally one that can go straight from the stovetop to the oven), heat 2 tbsp of olive oil**. Once the pan has reached medium-high heat, set the rolls in the pan, lightly running the chicken along the pan bottom to ensure that there is a bit of oil down before you place each piece. Once you set them down, don't touch them. Let them do their thing and get brown for a couple of minutes. Then rotate the rolls, repeating the browning for all sides. Once the rolls are completely brown, they may look like they are done and ready to be eaten...

...But this is a lie.

There is still a layer of pink lurking inside, threatening to ruin your lovely meal.

So- if your pan can go straight to the oven, do it- pop that whole thing straight in to your preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. If it can not, take the rolls and place them on a baking sheet. Then pop those babies in the oven, also for 8-10 minutes. When done, remove them and look at them adoringly- then invite anyone else in the house to come look at what you have created. This may just be the dog, but I'm sure he will be suitably impressed.

To serve: I have a balsamic glaze that I LOVE. It goes with so many things and is just so darn yummy. I believe it should be a household staple. So as you can see below, I simply plated the rolls whole with a drizzle of glaze and a vinegary side salad. You could also go spicy with some sriracha, maybe whip up one of the aiolis I posted here, or any other favorite condiments you might have on hand ***

Important note: If serving whole, either remove the toothpicks ahead of time or be sure to let your guests know that the rolls hold a woody surprise!

So those are two ways that you can repurpose leftover meatballs, extra veggies, ground meat, or any combination thereof. Any other ways you like to use up these types of leftovers? I'd love to hear them!!

FMD Footnotes:

*Cooking spray = a no-no. With these, you could put a bit of broth on the bottom of the pan. Alternately, just lying down a layer of foil should still allow for caramelization without any annoying sticking.

**For FMD, use a bit of your favorite FMD-approved broth. I have mentioned it before, but I'll say it again. Bialetti Aeternum pans are awesome for getting browning without any additional fats... and without just boiling your veggies!

***Just keep your choices limited to phase-appropriate items!

Hey I made mayo!!

2015-07-29T17:49:00.002-07:00

Hey guys, I made mayo! It was super easy! How exciting is that?!? *

So I made a small batch (what you see in the pic is what you get from this recipe), but it took about 5 minutes and I feel so good about it. Sure, you can get egg-free and lower fat versions of mayonnaise. But this was 5 clean ingredients and the touch of dijon added a nice bit of flavor.

And what are those 5 ingredients? Here ya go:

1 whole egg

1.5 tsp dijon mustard

1 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh is ideal, I actually used bottled here because that's what I had)

~ 1/4 tsp himalayan sea salt

3/4 extra virgin olive oil (I have also heard grapeseed oil is great for this, but it can be a bit pricey)

2 steps:

1. Put everything but the oil in a blender or food processor and run it until you get a smooth mixture.

2. While the blender or processor is still running, drizzle the oil in. You will see the mixture start to thicken, keep going until the oil is all incorporated.

Bam. You just made mayonnaise like a cooking ninja.

Modifications

So what do you do with it once you have made it? Whatever. you. want. If you're feeling creative, I would suggest playing with a tablespoon or two at a time, adding different flavorings to see what you like. But if do you mess it up and an experiment ends up...not so tasty... the ingredients are so cheap and the recipe is so easy, you can just make more!! Also, you could easily make this basic recipe as-is without the dijon if you decide you don't like that flavor, don't have it on hand, or just don't want to put it in.

My favorite so far is adding sriracha and black pepper to taste to make a sweet and spicy sriracha aioli. It goes great with crispy baked sweet potato fries (a recipe I promise to post soon).

Some other options:

- You could get fancy with it and add some roasted garlic when you first blend everything together for a savory, rich garlic aioli.

- Substitute lime juice for the lemon juice, add a clove or two of garlic and a handful of cilantro to the processor for a zesty cilantro aioli.

- Go crazy with seasonings. Cumin, coriander, and chile powder mixed into the prepared mayo would make an awesome Mexican-style aioli.

- Wasssaaaabi... No, seriously- toss in some wasabi. Then run out for some fresh sashimi and go to town!

Any other ideas? Other types of aioli that you have tried or created? I'd love to hear about them!!

FMD Footnote:

*FMD Phase 3 safe!!!

FMD Garden Meatballs with easy sauce and zucchini noodles

2015-07-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

Yum. So I got the basic recipe for these meatballs from the FMD blog here . I was looking for a Phase 2-friendly meal that wouldn't leave me feeling unsatisfied. As a reminder, Phase 2 of the Fast Metabolism diet is very low-carb and low-fat. So lots of meat and veggies. But tomatoes and tomato sauce are technically not allowed in Phase 2, however, so this recipe ended up developing into a P1 and P3-friendly dish.

This recipe hits all of the right notes- the meatballs satisfy the craving for something that feels fatty, the sauteed zucchini noodles have a bit of sweetness and just a little crunch, and the tomato sauce adds spice and acidity.

I'm going to do this in 3 chunks: I'll give the meatball recipe, talk about how to make and cook the zucchini noodles, and then review the quick and versatile tomato sauce.

Chunk 1: Meatballs. I unfortunately failed in picture-taking on the process, but will add some the next time I make these (which I am sure will be soon)

You need 1 1/2 lb. of meat in total. The original recipe recommended 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey and 1 lb. lean ground beef. I opted for 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey and 1 lb. or ground pork loin. There was a sale... You can really use any combination of meats (based on phase if you're following FMD) that you want. Follow your meat bliss.
4 cups spinach
4 good-size stalks of celery
4 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper
1-2 tbsp Sriracha (based on personal spice preferences)
1 tbsp of tamari or Bragg's liquid aminos
1 7-oz. can diced mild green chiles (optional. I didn't add them, but would probably taste great, especially if you got the fire-roasted kind)
1 tsp sea salt (himalayan if you got it),
1/2 - 1 tsp black pepper, again based on taste

Preheat your oven to 375 deg F. Put the meat in a large bowl. Then pull out the food processor. If you don't have a food processor, just pull out the good knife and give a rough chop to the spinach. Chop the green onions. Then finely dice the celery and seed and finely dice the bell pepper. You want pieces that are small enough to mesh well with your ground meat and not just pop out of your perfectly formed meatballs.

If you do have access to a food processor, just toss each ingredient into the food processor separately. The spinach should only take a few pulses to break it into bite-sized pieces. The celery and bell pepper should also only take a few pulses.You don't want to puree it, you just want small pieces that are easier to incorporate into your meat. You will likely still want to hand-chop the green onions.

Add the veggies, sriracha, tamari or Bragg's, S&P, and chiles if you're using them. Get your hands in there and mix everything well until it is all incorporated.This recipe is meat to make 6 meal-sized servings. I found that if I made them just a hair bigger than golf-ball sized, they made exactly 24 meatballs, which = 6 four-meatball servings. Voila. I set mine in a glass 9x13 casserole dish for a perfect fit.

They will need to bake for approximately 30 minutes. I took mine out at about 20 minutes and used a turkey baster to pull out some of the excess juice that pooled at the bottom of the pan, as it tends to form that protein reside that can be unappetizing. As they cook, they may look a bit dry, but these meatballs remained remarkably moist.

While these meatballs are baking, I would suggest you work on Chunk 2: The Zucchini Noodles (and also start Chunk 3, actually...)

A few months back, I purchased a spiralizer on ebay. This has become the best $24.99 I have spent on a kitchen tool in a long time.

There are 3 different blades, so you can make 2 widths of "noodles," or more of a butterfly shape (I think of those big plates of butterflied potato chips you can buy at county fairs- it's that kind of shape). You pop a zucchini on the blade, turn the crank, and it's off to the races!

Creating zucchini pasta

Unless you have a giant zucchini, generally I have found that one zucchini per person is a filling portion. I know, it sounds like a lot. But trust me, it's how much you're gonna eat.

Zucchini has a high water content, so in order to get a nice brown on the noodles,you need to get some of the water out. Toss these noodles with a bit of salt, and let them sit on a stack of paper towels for 5-10 minutes. Then grab some more paper towels and press down on the pile, trying to get as much water out of the noodles as you can.

Let the noodles drain

Now, here is the important part. To keep this low-fat, you want to be able to brown the noodles without using any oil or butter. The best way I have found thus far is to use the right pan. Specfically, I love this sautee pan. (Not sponsored in any way lol). I found this randomly years ago- to be honest, I really liked the red color, and the guy at the kitchen store strongly recommended it. Turns out, this pan allows you to cook things at high heat and get a nice sear/browning- mostly without sticking.

I cook the noodles by using just a quick hit of non-stick spray**. Then I get the pan nice and hot- about a medium-high heat. Toss in the noodles and mix them around a bit so they are evenly spread and add any spices you might like. I added a liberal sprinkle of garlic powder here and a touch of salt and pepper. Step back and let them cook for a couple of minutes- you will start to see the noodles brown slightly.***

If you keep cooking them at a that level of heat, you should see increased browning- but they will also become softer. Stop cooking them when they have reached the level of brown and crunch/softness that you prefer. There is no wrong answer here. In this particular recipe, I preferred them a bit crunchier, I felt that heartiness held up best to the tomato sauce.

steamy cooking zucchini

cooked noodles

Onto Chunk 3!!

The ideal time to start this would be right when the meatballs go in the oven. While you are cooking out the canned taste and infusing flavor into this sauce, the meatballs and zucchini will be cooking up all happy-like.

Chunk 3: Sauce

I think there are a number of healthy recipes that can be made tastier and more satisfying with the addition of a good tomato sauce. My favorite tomato sauce is posted here. That can be modified by removing the butter completely. However, for this recipe, I wanted something a bit chunkier **. I was also going for quick and easy.

1 can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic already added

1 small can tomato sauce

S&P

seasonings as desired (basil, oregano, garlic powder)

optional: fresh basil, fresh garlic, chopped onion, a little EVOO

Put the diced tomatoes and sauce into a pan. Add a liberal dose of S&P to taste, as well as 1/4- 1/2 tsp of your seasonings. I like a liberal dose of additional basil, dried oregano, and garlic powder. Let it cook down for about 15 minutes- you'll notice it thicken up. About 10 minutes in, taste for seasonings. If it's too bland, punch it up. If you like spice, maybe even toss some red pepper flakes in there.

Not quite low-fat options: You can develop some additional flavor by taking a few minutes first to heat some olive oil in your sauce pan and sautee some chopped garlic and diced onions (for this amount of tomato, I would suggest 3 cloves of garlic and 1/2 of a medium onion). Add them to your sauce pan, then toss in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Continue with the recipe as noted above.

Note: Regardless of which option you choose, fresh basil is always an excellentaddition :)

Plating: Create a layer of zucchini noodles on the plate just as you would with an awesome plate of pasta. Ladle a layer of sauce. Add your meatballs and top with more sauce. Optional bits: more fresh basil and a nice dash of grated parm (unless you're on FMD, of course ;) ).

Bon appetit!

FMD Footnotes

*FMD note: I originally formulated this when I somehow misread a list, thinking tomatoes were a no, but for some reason tomato sauce was ok. It turns out this is actually best for Phases 1 and 3. For Phase 3, you could even sautee the noodles in a little olive oil and use the alternate version of the sauce with garlic and onions that I have noted. Fats! Woo!

** No cooking sprays are allowed on FMD- you can use a spritz of veggie broth instead, that should keep things moist and add some great flavor. However, you may want to lower the heat just in case the lack of a non-stick element causes the noodles to cook too fast and stick to your pan.

*** Now for those of you on the FMD, you may want to stop here- I am told that letting veggies caramelize (even without additional fat) may bring out the natural sugars in a way that is not fitting with the plan.

Healthy, tasty, oaty pancakes- FMD friendly.

2015-07-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

So, as I mentioned recently, a few weeks ago Tyson and I took a trip to Boston. When we left, we had a list of restaurants and bars we wanted to try... you know, if we had the time. We ended up visiting 25 places in 5 1/2 days. 25. Needless to say, we came back a little...stuffed. As a result, we decided to go on a strict diet. When it comes to diets, we both thrive in programs that give you rules- specifically, rules that make sense and don't provide a lot of grey areas into which we can fit things like ice cream... After some research, we decided to try the Fast Metabolism Diet (FMD). 2 1/2 weeks in, we are both having really great results. However, I have found that I have to work to make things a bit more tasty- the recipes are satisfying physically, but mentally they leave a little something to be desired.

To give the basic rules in a nutshell: Overall, no white stuff- you know, refined flour, sugar, etc. Also no dairy. On Monday and Tuesday (Phase 1), we are able to eat healthy carbs like brown rice, sprouted grain bread, fruit, etc- but remain low fat. Wednesday and Thursday (aka the dreaded Phase 2) are the low-carb, high-protein, low-fat days. Friday-Sunday (Phase 3) are the happy days because you can add back in healthy fats like olive oil, almonds, and avocado. Plus you get fruit back, quinoa... it all feels so luxurious and naughty after that unpleasant Phase 2.

Having said all of that- I have been looking for ways to create meals that fit within these guidelines and fulfill my psychological needs for satisfying foods. I will likely be posting a number of these experimental recipes over the next few weeks as we continue to try to alter our way of eating....and pants sizes. Some of them will be cited as coming from the FMD book, blog, or website- I am finding that the general guidelines for these recipes is great, but there are technical things that can be done that make the flavor so much better. Some of these are as simple as using the right pan or amping the basic recipe up with some bold spices.

Let's get started! Today I present....Oat Pancakes with sugar-free berry compote

*This recipe would be FMD Phase 1 friendly, and could be Phase 3 friendly by switching the rice milk to almond milk.

This recipe is gluten-, soy-, dairy-, AND sugar-free. That's right- I have taken all of the fun out of these pancakes...and they're still good! I will say that the first bite was a bit of a surprise- they do taste kind of like oatmeal. They won't be the fluffy, light pancakes you're used to, but I liked them and Tyson didn't complain...

Makes approx 12 3" pancakes, I did 3 pancakes per serving for a total of 4 servings.

Pancake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups oats (I used rolled oats- please see the *Note below for info regarding steel-cut oats)

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. himalayan sea salt (if possible- other salts would work just fine)

1/2 tsp of your seasoning(s) of choice. I really like pumpkin pie spice because it has all of the good stuff. Cinnamon would be great as well, some nutmeg, whatever strikes your fancy.

2 egg whites (6 tbsp if you get the cartons of egg whites alone)

1 cup rice milk- you can also use any dairy or non-dairy product of your choice. If you are good with dairy (and some fat), I am betting buttermilk would make these super fluffy and lighter than they would be otherwise.

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

First, you're going to feel like a cooking guru when you make flour. Put the 1 1/2 cups of oats into a food processor or strong blender. Press start. Watch as you create flour. Bam. That just happened.

*Oat Note: I have tried making these with steel-cut oats as well. Unless you have an industrial food processor, it was much more difficult to turn these into a fine flour. I ended up passing the flour through a sieve to get the larger chunks out:

Processed steel-cut oats

Sieved steel-cut flour

The remaining oat bits.

Also, the flour really soaked up all of my moisture as the batter sat. I ended up adding a splash more of the rice milk to thin the batter back out.

Once you have settled on a flour and made it like a cooking ninja, mix all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together in a smaller bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients to get the egg whites a little fluffy. The oat flour will be a bit dense, any extra air you can get in the whites will help fluff them up a bit. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, mixing just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Spritz a little non-stick spray onto your pan and heat it to about medium heat*. Ladle a scoop of batter in to make an approximately 3" diameter pancake. Or make it bigger. This is your party. But keep in mind you're gonna have to flip this beast at some point...

When you see bubbles forming on the surface, slide your spatula underneath to see if it looks like the cake is going to come with you willingly. If it feels a little wobbly, let it sit a little longer. This shouldn't take too long, but keep in mind that these pancakes are a bit more dense than your standard cake, so it will be a bit longer than usual. Flip the pancakes when ready- at this point, they should only need a few more minutes once they are flipped.

Now for the topping... **

As I mentioned, the basic recipe for this stuff is sugar-free. That means that the sweetness comes from your fruit. If your fruit is tart, then this sauce is going to be a bit tart. So let's talk about your options if you want to sweeten it up. If you are looking for a natural no-sugar option, honey would be great and agave would also work. If you want a no-calorie sweetener, stevia, truvia, and xylitol would all also work (The latter would be the FMD options).

The basic recipe for any compote is so simple, it's crazy. The amounts below should be sufficient for the amount of pancakes in the recipe above:

Compote:

2 cups berries- or whatever fruit you like. I added apricots in my last batch just because they were getting soft. Your fruit can also be fresh or frozen.

If fresh- add about 1/4 cup of water. If frozen, the ice on the fruit should melt as it cooks- this will do the same job.

~1 tbsp lemon juice...you can add a tsp of zest too if you're feeling fancy.

Toss all of this into a pan, cook over medium heat. Also, this is when you should add any spices you might like. To stick with healthier items, I like to add some spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and maybe even a splash of vanilla. If you are ok with sugar, you can use any of the options I mentioned above. I would start with 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of agave, or 1/2 tbsp sugar (or the sugar-substitue equivalent).

Then you just let it all hang out and break down into a beautiful sauce. Don't be afraid to let this just go for as little as 10 and up to 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom. The longer it cooks, the thicker it gets.

Berries are starting to break down

Complete compote- thick and rich

Once it has cooked down to your desired thickness, taste it do decide if you want to add more of your chosen sweetener or spices.

Now, the only thing left to do is plate it up, make it pretty, and enjoy!

I was feeling whimsical the last time I made these... you know those little drips you sometimes get when you make pancakes? I decided to go ahead and flip them over to create a handful of mini pancakes. Then I really got fancy with it:

Amuse bouche? Hamster breakfast? Exercise in perspective? Or just someone who watches way too much Food Network...?

Fortunately, Tyson also got his normal-sized plate....

Actual Human-sized portion

FMD Footnotes:

* Cooking spray is a no-no on all phases. As long as you use a standard non-stick pan and don't set the heat too high, these should cook up just fine. I would not recommend these in a non non-stick pan... Also, if you are using a non-stick pan and you notice them starting to stick, that means your heat is too high. Reduce the heat and remove the pan from the burner for a minute while things cool down. The pan should release it's pancake hostage and allow you to continue cooking.

** I have been informed that you are not allowed to cook fruit on FMD, only warm it...so you won't get the broken-down compote that I have here. I would suggest slightly mashing your berries with a fork or potato masher and then cooking slowly until warm!

The blog is back!!

2015-07-16T15:37:00.001-07:00

Hello anyone that is reading this! So after a two-year hiatus, I have decided to revive this blog. This is in large part due to having a buildup of recipes and pictures that are doing absolutely nothing but floating around aimlessly in the cloud... it seemed like such a waste to let them wither and die in the ether....I might as well put them to some good use.

Since there is a bit of a backlog, I'll try not to release too many at one time. I should also point out that we recently went on a debaucherous trip to Boston, stopping at 25 (yes, 25!!) restaurants over the course of 5 1/2 days. Upon our return, we decided to go on a rigorous clean eating program, using some of the principles outlined in the Fast Metabolism Diet. It seems to be working, but it could also be the result of us just not eating at 5 restaurants a day. The science on this is unclear.

So some of the recipes I post will be things inspired by the FMD that we have found to be tasty. Often, the original recipes have benefitted from the use of super-secret techniques (which I may be persuaded to share) that build flavor without adding all of the stuff that made us get fat.

This dog is my spirit animal

Other than that, I will continue to post tasty, mostly healthy things,some not. Tyson (a new to-be-recurring character in this blog) has also suggested that we might add some restaurant reviews when we try something new and exciting. I am not opposed to this suggestion, so you may see some of those as well. I can almost guarantee that those posts will fall under the "some not" category. Sometimes, you just have to have fatty, gooey, crispy things. And donuts. Don't forget donuts.

See you soon...

Easy, Healthy, Green Veggie Curry

2013-04-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

I have never actually made a curry before, so I was pretty nervous when I decided to try this. But I have been seeing green curry paste at the store for a while and I decided to make it happen. I went with a fish-sauce free curry paste, so this is completely vegetarian- and actually even fully vegan. Some day soon I will make my own curry paste- I have seen recipes on the interwebs and I think I can piece together one that I like. But it requires many ingredients, and on the day that I made this, I was physically and mentally drained- thus I did not have the capacity to think about the 50 ingredients it would require....

I went with green as it has a more mild flavor than red and I wasn't sure how spicy the paste would be. This one ended up being flavorful with a nice kick, but nothing too extreme. If it isn't spicy enough for you, you may want to toss in some red pepper flakes at the end.

So- onto the curry...

Ingredients

2 large yams (or some type of combination thereof) approx 1 lb

1/2-3/4 of a red bell pepper

1 large or 2 medium carrots

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

3 tbsp green curry paste

1 13.5 oz coconut milk (I used light coconut milk and it was still great, regular will just make a richer broth)

1/2 c veggie stock

Peas- I had to use frozen, but fresh would be much better

Green onions, for garnish

The basic idea is to add whatever veggies you find tasty- I like potatoes with curry, I feel the white potatoes soak up all of the curry flavor, and yams add a nice sweetness to a somewhat spicy curry. So I did all of that. I used 3-4 baby white potatoes I had lying around, one beautiful Japanese yam, and one garnet yam. The Japanese yams are milder than your usual sweet potato, so it was in all a nice contrast across the 3.

Chop the potatoes into half-moon chunks and put them in a pot- cover with water, add a bunch of salt, and bring to a boil. Boil until mostly cooked through, 5-7 mins.

While that is happening, chop the carrots, onions, and bell peppers into nice bite-sized pieces- roughly uniform so they cook at the same pace.Mince the garlic and toss it in the bowl.

Heat 1 tsp coconut oil- yes, coconut oil. I raved about this stuff in my stir-fry post and I'll do it again here. There is no better oil for a stir-fry (well.... toasted sesame oil is pretty darn close...) and it is very good for you.

Anywho- heat the oil in your wok, getting the pan and oil nice and hot. Toss in the carrots, peppers, and onions, add a liberal dose of salt, and cook them until mostly cooked through and they start to smell reeeeeaaaaaaaalllllly good.Don't be afraid of the heat here, especially if you are using a wok. Unless things start to brown too quickly, the rapid heat of the wok is your friend...

Once they're mostly cooked through, add the curry paste- I did it in 1/2 tsp chunks across the mixture and used about 3 tbsp. More= spicier. Also, if you don't like the flavor level when you're done, you can a)mix some curry paste with a bit of veggie broth and stir that into your pot while reducing the broth down to concentrate the flavors or b) add more veggie broth and/or coconut milk if you want to reduce the amount of curry flavor... or even water if you really want to tone things down.

Drain the potatoes when they are done and toss them into the mix in the wok. Add the veggie broth, coconut milk, and whatever peas you are adding, and gently stir. The broth and milk will mix with the curry and turn everything a beautiful creamy green color. Let it all hang out and get all cozy with the flavors for 5-10 mins at around a simmer, making sure it doesn't start to stick to the bottom. As it reduces, taste for salt and add as needed.

I have a photo for this part but the computer refuses to upload it for reasons unknown to me. Visualize it here:

Serve over brown rice or quinoa. I chose quinoa and it was fantastic. Garnish with fresh green onion and perhaps a squirt of lime juice- light, tasty, spicy, and supremely satisfying.

Black Bean Soup

2013-04-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

I found this rich and flavorful black bean soup here. I just about doubled the spices- you will likely want to adjust based on personal tastes. Black beans are full of protein and fiber.While this soup may *taste* decadent (especially if you blend it up), it's pretty much guilt-free.

EVOO (about a tbsp or so)

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 large-ish carrots, or 3 smaller carrots

2 ribs celery

1 medium onion

2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 3.5oz can green diced chiles

4 cups low-sodium beef broth (you can easily use a rich veggie broth here to make it vegetarian)

S&P

1 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspooon dry oregano leaves

1 bay leaf

Pour a round on EVOO into your stockpot. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes until onions are soft and the veggies start to brown.

Add in the beans, chiles, broth, and spices. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until carrots are soft, remove the bay leaf.

Before

After

I would have liked to keep the soup as-is, but with my soft food requirement, I had to blend it up. It was very tasty blended as well, so you could really go either way. I blended it into a smooth puree in batches using my trusty blender. Make sure if you do this that you leave the top loose to allow steam to escape so the blender doesn't blow up on you. That would really ruin the soup.

The original site recommended several toppings such as crushed tortilla chips, cheese, etc. It also added lime at the end. I preferred adding a squeeze of lime juice to each individual serving and topping each serving with a dollop of sour cream or unsweetened fat free greek yogurt- sometimes with a bit of chopped cilantro. I think this recipe would be great in the summer as well- maybe paired with a little avocado or mango salsa....

Not my best photo- I was reallllly in a hurry to start eating this....

Quinoa "Fried Rice"

2013-04-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

I have been craving fried rice, but I quickly dismissed it, thinking it was just too carb-heavy. Even if I were to use healthy brown rice, it would just feel like too big an indulgence. Theeeeennnn I thought, "Hey, Self- what if we were to use quinoa instead of rice? It's chock full of protein and it's not even officially a grain." I made a quick trip to the Google machine and it turns out I was not the first one to have this flash of brilliance. Whatever. I don't need that kind of press anyway.

I had some sesame tofu from the ready-prep area of Whole Foods. I'm not a tofu fan, but if you're there when they have this stuff, try it. (I'm going to try to re-create it soon, so stay posted.) I decided to use that as my "meat". Other than that, my plan was to use a ton of veggies and a combo of egg and egg whites. This whole process took maybe 20 mins because I had a bowl of leftover plain quinoa already cooked. But cooking quinoa only takes about 12-14 mins, so even if you have to do that first, this is a ~30 minute filling and satisfying recipe.

The amounts I have below are what I used to make this giant bowl. I planned to eat all of it, but was pretty full after half, so I'll say it's good for 2 people or 1 really hungry person. It would also be good with the Asian Cucumber Salad recipe I posted under the Stir Fry recipe here. I chose the veggies because, well, they were what was in my fridge. Get creative and put in whatever you like. Bell peppers not your thing? Toss in some broccoli! It's your fake fried rice, do what you want!

What I used:

- 1 cup cooked quinoa (1/2 c dry)

- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided in half (SO much better than reg sesame oil. You need this in your home)

- Ginger- I have the jarred ginger, but fresh would be better if you have it on hand

- 1 large carrot

- 1/2 red bell pepper

- 1/2 medium zucchini

- 3 stalks of ramps (they're in season right now, got some great fresh ones at the farmers' market...)

- 1 egg + 3 tbsp egg whites (equivalent of one egg)

- ~ 1/3- 1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted (fresh peas would be great if you can get 'em)

- One 8 oz container sesame tofu

- Bragg's liquid amino

- about a tsp of teriyaki sauce (I could take or leave this addition... up to you)

- toasted sesame seeds and scallions for garnish

I wanted everything to cook evenly and I didn't want huge chunks in the quinoa- I was going for a more uniform dish. So I put the carrot, bell pepper, and zucchini in the food processor and gave it a good rough chop- not so much that it was in little bits, more like bite-sized. I did the carrot first by itself, then the zucchini and bell pepper together.

Scramble the egg and the egg white together and chop the ramp, using both the white and the green parts.

Heat your wok on a fairly high heat and added 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil. Here is a good time to mention that a good wok is a smart investment and can and will be used more than enough to justify the purchase :)

Once it gets good and hot, add in the bowl of veggies ( but not the peas). Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still crisp, about 5 mins. Add the quinoa and pour the Bragg's 2-3 rounds around the pan- about 1-2 tbsp. Also add the other 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil and the teriyaki sauce (if using). You could also potentially use fish sauce here instead- if you're into that kind of thing.

Create a well in the middle of the quinoa and add the egg. Stir constantly until curds start to form. Mix the egg into the rest of the concoction until cooked through. Toss in the peas and add more Bragg's to taste. At this point, you will also want to test for salt. If the flavors don't pop, add salt. It doesn't only make things taste "salty", it accentuates the flavors that already exist...

At this point, I added in my tofu. If you were using any other type of protein that needed cooking, I would suggest using a tad more oil and cooking that just about all the way before adding the veggies. You may also want to marinade your protein prior to cooking to develop the best possible flavor. Then follow the recipe as-is.

Final step: Plate it up and try not to burn your mouth as you shovel it all in. AND feel no guilt... the recipe above has about 590 cals if you eat the entire thing, plus it's chock full of clean, highly nutritious foods. You can also save a few cals if you take out the whole egg and use egg whites only. Enjoy!!

Eggs in Purgatory

2013-03-03T09:30:00.001-08:00

I love eggs.
Seriously, I love eggs in all forms- poached, fried, scrambled, hard-boiled, whites only, all of it.
I especially love an egg with a runny yolk that comes pouring out like some magnificent rich creamy sauce. The eggs in that recipe totally do that. And it's super fast and easy. And it rocks.

Ingredients:
-Diced tomatoes- for a full meal (I usually have this for dinner), I will make this for myself with 3 eggs, and I use about 1/3 can of tomatoes.
-Fresh basil, chopped- if you have a can of those awesome tomatoes with basil and garlic already added, just do that. Or even add more basil. If you're into that kind of thing (I am).
-A clove of garlic, minced (not necessary if already in tomatoes, but you can always add more. You can also just use some garlic powder if you want.)
- Eggs
-Polenta, about 1/3 c dry/person
-Maybe some melty cheese such as fontina for the polenta
-Some fresh grated parm

Ok-if you're using fresh garlic, put just a bit of EVOO in your saute pan and let the garlic cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes and basil or whatever seasonings you're feeling that day. Add some salt and pepper and let everything just hang out and get friendly on low heat for a bit.

While that's happening, get a pan going with water for the polenta. You want a 4:1 water to polenta ratio. I use Bob's Red Mill polenta which says it is the slow cook kind, but it always cooks in about 3 minutes. I would make sure you know which kind you have before you get started or you will have very cold eggs....

Bring the water to a boil. Once it starts to boil, you will whisk in the polenta and lower the heat to a simmer. It will start to thicken very quickly and probably be done in about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, and this is when you can toss in a handful of cheese if you're feeling frisky. I like fontina here, but do whatever you want.Go crazy.

Once you have the polenta in the pan, make some little indents in your sauce and crack the eggs into your pan. Toss some S&P on top of the eggs. Cover the pan and let them cook over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. You want the yolks runny and the whites firm. Covering the pan allows the steam to cook the tops of the eggs.

Once the whites are cooked through, slide the eggs and sauce on top of the polenta.

Top with a sprinkle of fresh grated parm and enjoy. It's hearty and flavorful, and the gooey yolk feels like you're eating a creamy cheese sauce- you don't have to remind yourself that you're actually eating healthy.

**If you're in a rush, this whole thing can be made even faster- cook the eggs separately either sunny side up or over easy while you're making the 3 minute polenta. Use the basil and garlic canned tomatoes, warm them up in a pan or in the microwave. Plate the polenta, top with tomatoes, and slide the eggs on top. Add some parm and bam- dinner. You just crushed it.

Moroccan Veggie Stew

2013-03-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

I love love love this stew. I stumbled upon it in the fall and it is chock full of veggies and bold spices. I was fairly ambivalent about raisins, but in this recipe, they get all plump and add a great little pop of sweetness in this flavorful concoction. It makes a giant pot and freezes fairly well- the sweet potatoes can get a little mealy when defrosted, but it holds up well overall. I got the original recipe here.

I have adjusted the spice levels and some of the veggie ratios. This recipe will need to be adjusted based on your personal tastes- I like it with a good hit of spice and just about a medium level of heat.

1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 sweet potatoes, cut into cubes
1 butternut squash (about 3 lbs), cut into cubes
3 carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 cup vegetable broth
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (do not drain- and you may need a 2nd can, see below)
About 1/2 cup golden raisins
S&P to taste

Pour a round of EVOO in the pan, sauteeing onions and garlic until soft and onions are slightly browned. Add the spices, cook for a few minutes. Add the potatoes, squash, carrots, and broth.

Bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chick peas, tomatoes, and raisins. At this point, you may want to add a little extra liquid if you want a saucier stew. You can add either a cup of broth or a can of tomatoes- up to you. I like mine more tomato-y, so I usually toss in a second can of tomatoes (the fire-roasted tomatoes are pretty tasty here, too.) If you like a thicker stew, leave as-is. Simmer for about 30 minutes, covered, until the veggies are soft.

I really like serving this over a small scoop of quinoa, with a hit of fresh lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest. The acid of the lemon, the sweet pop of the raisins, and the flavorful spice of the stew make for a perfectly balanced combination.

Tuscan Kale and Squash Minestra

2013-03-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on Food & Wine's site here and it is pure fall in a bowl. Super tasty, super satisfying, and super healthy. The soup trifecta.

EVOO

1 large onion, finely chopped

One ~2-pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

1 pound Tuscan kale, chopped (make sure to remove the stems! They are chewy and can make your soup taste like dirt...)

4 cups chicken stock (I used my usual Better than Bouillon)

1 cup canned navy beans, drained

Give the pan a good go-round with a couple of glugs of EVOO, somewhere between 1-2 tbsp. Cook the onions over medium heat until soft and just slightly browned. Add the squash and cook for about 5 minutes until it is also slightly browned. Give the pan a couple go-rounds of salt. If you are not using a low-sodium broth, you may want to go easy on the salt in this step, and wait until you taste everything all together later.

If you're using a good heavy-bottomed pan, don't be afraid to let some brown bits start accumulating on the bottom of the pan- you'll get those back up into the broth in a bit. Add the garlic and rosemary and let it cook for a minute. Add the kale. It will look huge, but let it cook for a few minutes and it will wilt.

Add the chicken stock. You should get a nice sizzle- take a second to make sure you scrape up any of those brown bits and get them working together with the broth. You don't want to miss those flavor bits.... Cover and simmer the mixture until the kale and squash are tender- it shouldn't take long, approx 10 minutes. Add the beans and cook for 5 more minutes, uncovered. Taste and add S&P as needed (depending on what stock you use, you may not need any salt at all).

At this point, you could add a small pasta such as ditalini, tortellini, or any other cute mini pastas Barilla has on the market these days. I'm more of a quinoa fan- it's tasty and chock full of protein. I serve the soup over a small scoop for a complete meal, topped with a fair bit of freshly shaved parm. Yum.

Healthy, Hearty, and Kinda Creamy Mushroom Soup

2013-03-03T08:41:00.002-08:00

I recently discovered Skinnytaste.com's soup recipes. I had some dental work done and was only able to eat very soft foods for a loooooong time. Once I got tired of scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes, I decided I was going on a mission for actual tasty soft food recipes.

I have now tried quite a few of the Skinnytaste soup recipes. This mushroom soup and the Curried Squash soup (to be posted shortly) have been my favorites.

This soup clocks in with a meager 65 cals/ serving (1 1/4 cup). I ended up reducing some of it down even further and using it as a nice low-cal gravy for my fluffy mashed potatoes (use a food mill/ricer!!)

3 tbsp flour (white or wheat)

4 cups water

4 tsp Better than Bouillon Chicken dissolved in 1 cup water

5 oz shiitake mushrooms (the meatiness of these mushrooms makes the splurge worth it)

8 oz baby bellas

1 celery stalk, cut in half

Chop up your mushrooms- do not throw away your shiitake stems! Gather them in a little bundle and toss them in with the rest of the 'shrooms:

They add a valuable earthy flavor to the broth- you will remove them at the end when the soup is done cooking.

Blend the flour and water in a blender until completely mixed. I used a whole wheat flour with no problems. Pour the mixture into a soup pot over medium heat. Add the broth, mushrooms, and celery, and a fair amount of salt (based on your personal preferences). Cook until the veggies are soft- about 20 mins.

Place the celery stalk and two ladles of soup in the blender. Blend until smooth and add back into the soup as a thickener, add S&P to taste. If you want it a bit thicker, you can add cornstarch mixed with cold water while the soup is still hot. You can also continue to cook it over low-medium heat, uncovered for an additional 20-30 minutes. When I reduced it down to a gravy-like consistency, I only used about 1 1/2 cups that I had added a bit of cornstarch to. This recipe doesn't make a giant pot, maybe enough for 4-5 servings.

I somehow managed to not take a pic of the finished product- do not expect a white, creamy mushroom soup. This is more of a meaty, slightly creamy broth soup- but it is richer and thicker, so you will still get the satisfaction of the full texture and flavor.

Quick and Easy Bulgur Salad

2013-01-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

I came across a version of this recipe some time ago somewhere on the Real Simple website. It makes a huge batch and can be a great side dish for a group get-together with some grilled chicken or a fatty fish like salmon. It can also be used as a tasty vegetarian main course- the bulgur is filling and the tangy notes of the olives make for a great balance of flavor.

Here's what you will need:

1 cup uncooked bulgur

1 contained of grape tomatoes- chop in half if they are larger than bite-size

1/2 c kalamata olives, chopped

About 1/3 cup chopped scallions

Chopped fresh parsley & oregano.

S&P to taste

A splash of EVOO (1-2 tablespoons to taste)

A splash of red wine vinegar (to taste)

Cook the bulgur as directed- try not to overcook it, it will become too mushy for this recipe. Toss in the solid ingredients and add EVOO as needed to loosen up the wheat and lightly coat the ingredients. If you have a tasty olive oil, this is the type of recipe you would want to use it for. Taste and season as you go along. I like the splash of red wine vinegar at the end to balance out the dense flavor of the wheat. Again, this is where personal tastes really come in to play.

This recipe can be served warm, cold, or at room temp. I actually preferred it cold after it had had a few hours for all of the flavors to really marinate...which makes it great for a late-night snack or lunch leftovers :)

Hummus... my new favorite addiction

2012-12-14T09:59:00.000-08:00

I don't know why it took me so long that making your own hummus at home is so much better than store-bought... I can add what I want flavor-wise, and I know exactly what's going in it, so I don't have to worry about weird preservatives or a ton of sodium....

Here are two recent versions I have made and loved- I had a can of pumpkin hanging around and added it to the first one, thinking I would get pumpkin flavor. I didn't. BUT I did get a lovely fall color and a great creamy texture. Also, when I make these recipes, I like to let the processor run until the hummus has almost a whipped texture, I love the velvety mouthfeel and it makes it seem like I'm eating something luxurious instead of a healthy snack ;)

Hummus #1 Lemon Rosemary Pumpkin

1 15 oz. can chickpeas
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 small clove of garlic, smashed. (this may sound like not enough- but raw garlic is potent, and it will get stronger as time goes by...)
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced
Cumin to taste
2-3 tbsp lemon juice (start with 2)
EVOO
S&P

Toss everything but the EVOO and S&P into the food processor and just let it go for a minute. Then slowly add in the EVOO a tablespoon at a time until you get your desired consistency. I try to keep it to a minimum, and the pumpkin really helps with the texture, so I think I only used 2-3 tablespoons here. Taste and then adjust the cumin, rosemary, and S&P as needed. You may also want a tad more lemon juice to brighten it up- if you really want a good punch of lemon, try tossing in some grated lemon peel.

Hummus #2- Curry Pumpkin

About 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 clove garlic, smashed and lighted roasted in a saute pan
1 tbsp honey
1 15 oz can chickpeas
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
Toasted curry powder, start with about 1/2 tsp and up as needed (and yes, toasted- trust me, it's totally worth it)
EVOO
S&P to taste
Cayenne pepper (optional- I would start with about 1/8 tsp)

I roasted the garlic in this recipe to get the garlic flavor while keeping it from being overwhelming. It gave it a great flavor and it smelled a-ma-zing...

Just like last time, toss everything in a food processor except the EVOO, let it run for a bit and then gradually add the olive oil as needed.
Taste and then play with the seasoning- you may also want extra honey. I toasted some pine nuts and put them on top with a swirl of EVOO. So. Good.

Once you've started playing with different combinations, you will get more familiar with what types of flavors you like and then- just start throwing them in the food processor! Hummus is pretty forgiving, you can really have fun trying all kinds of new things. I made a pumpkin version of the standard hummus as well- chickpeas, tahini, lemon, pumpkin, dill, salt, EVOO. Bright, simple, delicious. Hmm... I may have to go whip some up now....

Super Easy Tasty Healthy Stir Fry and a Quick Asian Cucumber Salad

2012-12-09T15:48:00.001-08:00

Ok, so it turns out that the secret to a super tasty and healthy stir fry is... coconut oil. There. I've said it. The secret is out.

I used to make a stir fry that I really loved (and still do...) but it had brown sugar and a ton of soy sauce in it. Basically, a huge dose of sodium and sugar that was just unnecessary. So, during my recent experience with the Reset, I started using coconut oil in my stir fry. I also switched out my low-sodium soy sauce for Bragg's Liquid Aminos. Don't let the Amino part freak you out- it tastes just like soy sauce. This recipe is from the reset and it is incredibly simple. I eat it by the ginormous bowlful with a small scoop of brown rice or quinoa. Yum.

Step 1: Gather ye veggies. Many, many veggies. I particularly love baby squash of any sort in this recipe because they get all sweet and caramelized....

Step 2: Heat your oil. I use approx 1 tsp of sesame oil and 1 1/2 tsp of coconut oil for the panful of veggies you will see below. As for pan choice, I have used both a wok and my beloved Bialetti Aeternum pans and they're both great. You want to use a fairly high heat here so the veggies get brown but stay somewhat crisp. The best pan is one that allows for searing- your standard nonstick pans will not get the good caramelization we are going for here.

**This would also be a good time for a little shredded ginger and a smashed clove of garlic once the oil is hot. Let that cook for about 30 seconds and then move on to Step 3.

Step 3: Pile in the veggies! Remember, they shrink during cooking, so don't be afraid... At this point, I usually do one good go-round of salt, but not too much, since the Bragg's will add saltiness as well. Depending on what veggies you are using, you may want to stagger them. Carrots, broccoli, onions, etc would go in first followed by squash and peppers, with leafy greens hitting the pan last. Mix to coat the veggies in the oil.

Once things are very close to done, let things get good and hot and then hit the pan with 2 go 'rounds of Aminos to deglaze the pan and get all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir the veggies so they're coated and then let everything caramelize a bit. Move things around after a minute or two to make sure all veggies get a shot at browned goodness.

This is sadly not the browned version- I got too excited and ate it without taking a final pic...

Serve with a little brown rice or quinoa and you're good to go! I also like having a bowl of this with a little cucumber salad (these amounts serve 2... or one if you're super hungry... or burn the stir fry):

Quick Asian Cucumber Salad:

1 English cucumber, chopped

1 tomato, diced

1/2 avocado, diced

splash of mirin

splash rice wine

salt to taste

toasted sesame seeds

Toss everything together, stir, pop in the fridge to get all happy while you make the stir fry. The acidity is a nice combo with the salty stir fry. I love it with a ton of the sesame seeds- they really make a difference- and toasted seeds are much better than plain, if you're thinking of just using plain. I found a giant shaker of toasted seeds for $6 at an Asian specialty shop. Best $6 I spent that day...

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

2011-12-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from Tyler Florence on the Food Network. I have to say, it is unbelievable how easy it is to make such a complex and tasty pie. I am usually not a big pecan pie fan because it's normally just a tad too sweet for me.But the bourbon and the unsweetened chocolate in this recipe really help balance out the sweetness and I may have ended up eating a bit more of this pie than I should...Which is perhaps why the pictures in this particular post aren't quite as detailed as usual :p

So I do have to admit to cheating a bit... I used a Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust. I know, I should have made my own...but I was busy. And tired. And that crust is actually really good- it also stood up pretty well to the sugary pecan pie filling. But I would make sure you follow their tip and dust both sides with flour before popping it in the pan.

Once you have it all set in your pie pan, flute the edges to make it pretty. Or just fold it over in a solid line around the edge. Whatever floats your boat:

Next comes the filling. Here is what you will need:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons bourbon

***This amount does allow you to really taste the bourbon in the pie- it's not overwhelming, but it's definitely there. If you don't think you'll like that flavor, maybe try it with 2 tbsp the first time.

1/4 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups pecan halves

- Preheat the oven to 350 deg.

- If using chocolate squares, melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, remove from heat and let cool. I actually have been using the pre-melted unsweetened chocolate packs. They are a real time saver in these types of recipes. If you're using those, you can just pop it in a bowl with the butter and put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Mix it up and you're good to go.

- Whip the eggs with a whisk in a large mixing bowl until frothy and then whisk in the sugar.
- Stir in the syrup, vanilla, bourbon, salt, and the melted butter/chocolate mixture until well blended.
-Arrange the pecans on the bottom of the pie crust and carefully pour the egg mixture over them.

-Bake until the filling is set and slightly puffed, about 45 minutes. **Keep an eye on the crust- mine got pretty brown about 35 minutes in, so I wrapped it gently in foil for the last 10 minutes.

- Transfer the pie to rack and cool completely before cutting- or at least try your hardest to wait until it's mostly cool....I made this pie a day in advance, so I just popped it in the fridge when it was cool. The next day, I took it out about an hour before dinner to let it come to room temp before cutting into it and enjoying the chocolatey, bourbon-y, pecan-y goodness.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Pecans

2011-12-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

While I was hunting for a sweeter version of sweet potatoes to serve alongside my Roasted Sweet Potato Salad, I happened upon this recipe on the Epicurious website. It was simple and light, and had a nice combination of sweet and savory. Plus it had a nice textural contrast between the whipped potatoes and the crunchy baked topping. It was a big hit with my "Second Thanksgiving Feast" guests and is going in the permanent recipe box. I made a small modification from the original recipe, cutting down the brown sugar in the topping. I also made sure to use pure vanilla extract that had been made with distilled alcohol, to keep the recipe gluten-free for some of my guests.

Topping:

- 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (about 2 ounces)

- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Potatoes
- 5 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons salt

- Preheat oven to 350 deg.

- Mix sugar, pecans and butter in small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to use.

- Use either butter or a non-stick spray to prep a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.

- Cook sweet potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 12 minutes. Drain.

- Let them cool for a bit.

- Purée sweet potatoes in processor.

- This is where I had to go through a few steps. It will most likely depend on what kind of equipment you have. I have a Cuisinart 6 cup food processor. After using the food processor, my potatoes looked like this:

They were still pretty grainy and lumpy. Next, I tried an immersion blender wand to whip them up, but they were too thick for that. Finally, I just stuck them in the blender. That did the trick. They came out smooth and fluffy like this:

- Once you have settled on a method of whipping your potatoes into submission, beat the eggs, syrup, vanilla, lemon juice and salt in large bowl. Mix in the sweet potatoes.

- Transfer sweet potato mixture to prepared dish.

- Sprinkle pecan topping evenly over mixture.

- Bake until sweet potato mixture is set and topping bubbles, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes and serve.

Roasted sweet potato salad with cranberries and pecans

2011-12-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

I am just now getting around to posting the recipes I whipped up for my "Second Thanksgiving Feast." I found this first recipe a few years ago somewhere on the interwebs, and it has become an annual favorite. It can really be eaten any time of year, but the cranberries and pecans make it particularly well-suited for an unexpected and refreshing take on the usual sweet potato dish. I will be posting a Whipped sweet potatoes with pecan and brown sugar topping recipe shortly, so there will be something a little more traditional as well ;)

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Cranberries & Pecans

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces
EVOO
Rosemary (fresh or dried)
S&P
2 tablespoons finely diced sweet onion
2 tablespoons chopped, toasted pecans
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (Craisins), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey (citrus honeys are great here)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of cayenne (optional if you want a bit of a kick)

- Preheat the oven to 350 deg.
- Toss the diced sweet potatoes with the EVOO, rosemary, and S&P. Spread them out on a baking pan.

- Roast for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a fork inserts easily into the potato. Keep in mind that these potatoes will be tossed with vinaigrette and other ingredients, so it's ok to leave them a bit more firm than you might otherwise.

- While they cool, whisk all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette.

- Combine the sweet potatoes, onions, parsley, cranberries, and chopped pecans in a large bowl.

- Toss with the vinaigrette- I would start with half and then add more based on personal preference. I typically only end up using half of the dressing for this amount of potatoes, but I leave the extra out for anyone who wants to add more.... or to make a second batch a few days later...

Lamb Patstitsio

2011-11-28T10:31:00.000-08:00

Food 52 hosts weekly contests to see who can make the best dish in a given category. A while back, they hosted a best baked pasta contest. This recipe won, and has become one of my favorite comfort food dishes. It takes some time, but is actually quite simple and totally worth it.

Pasta & Meat:

1 lb penne pasta (I have also made this with my new fave pasta, gemelli, and it was great)
1 tbsp butter
2lb ground lamb
2 medium onions, diced
1/2 c red wine
6 oz tomato paste
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp dried oregano
zest of one lemon

The recipe actually calls for 1/2 tsp ground sumac. I can never find this spice where I live, but the google machine told me I could sub in lemon zest. I have never had it with sumac, but the lemon zest really makes this dish awesome, so I don't think I'm missing anything.

1 tsp dried mint
2 cups water
6 oz crumbled feta

Cheese sauce:

6 tbsp butter
1/2 c flour
3 c milk
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 c grated parm

- Cook the pasta, leaving it with a slight bite. Drain the pasta and mix it with the tbsp of butter.
- Cook the lamb and the onions- I like to do this separately so that the onions can take a little more time and get slightly caramelized on their own.

- Drain the fat from the lamb and combine the meat with the onions. Add wine and cook the mixture until most of the liquid evaporates.
-Stir in the tomato paste. This step is important- all the mixture to cook for a couple of minutes. This lets the tomato paste kind of "toast" a bit and adds another layer of flavor.
- Add cinnamon, oregano, half of lemon zest (or all of the sumac), mint, and 2 c of water.

-Simmer until this mixture thickens (about 15-20 minutes.) Season liberally with salt and pepper.

-Preheat the oven to 350 while you make the cheese sauce:
-Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan, whisk in the flour.
-Add the milk to the mixture slowly, whisking continuously.

-Cook until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon:

- Stir in the cayene and parmesan cheese.

- In a large bowl, mix the pasta with the lamb mixture. Add in the feta and the rest of the lemon zest.

-**Taste it and make sure there is enough salt. It may just be me, but I have a tendency to undersalt this dish. There are no salty ingredients except that bit of parm in the sauce, so you should make sure there is enough to really highlight all of the flavors.

- Pour the lamb and noodles into a 9x13 baking dish, cover with the cheese sauce.

- Bake at 350 until the sauce is bubbly and browned in spots- about 35-40 minutes.

- Grab a bowlful, get comfy, and enjoy.....

Holiday Cookies #3: Salted Caramel Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

2011-11-28T06:42:00.000-08:00

Raise your hand if you like the salted caramel hot chocolate they are serving at every coffee shop these days.

Awesome. Now put your hand down, people are starting to stare.

The reason I ask is that I love salted caramel hot chocolate. And it turns out that these cookies ARE salted caramel hot chocolate. But in easy to transport cookie form. I'm not gonna lie, there is a looooot of butter involved. And sugar. These are by no means a healthy cookie. But I think the mental health they impart is worth the damage they may do physically. Plus, it's the holidays- live a little.

This recipe came from the same place as my favorite Mexican Hot Chocolate cookies. I may have mixed feelings about Martha Stewart, but that woman has some mean cookie recipes... It's not a difficult recipe, but it can take a little time. As I am typing this, I have only turned about 1/3 of the cookies into sandwiches. I am le tired.

Ok, enough chit chat. Here's what happened:

Salted Caramel Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

- Preheat your oven to 375 deg.
- Beat the butter with the sugar with an electric mixer until it's pale yellow and fluffy:

- Beat in the egg yolk (you may need more than this... read on)
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
-*** The recipe says that at this point a dough is supposed to form. Here is what mine looked like:

It was crumbly and dry... I used a large egg, but perhaps my large egg yolk was just not large enough. So I decided to whisk the egg white to get it mildly frothy and mix it into the dough. After that, it looked like this:

....and was very easy to scoop and handle. Not sure what I would do if I had it to do over... I'm happy with how they turned out, so maybe just add the whole egg where I was supposed to add the yolk...

Moving on...
- Drop the dough by "level teaspoons" onto a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing about 1" apart.
- I used an actual teaspoon measure that I had and leveled off the top so that they came out as round little scoops with flat bottoms.

- The recipe says to bake them for 8 minutes, turning the pan halfway through. I did the first batch that way and ended up baking the remaining batches at 6 minutes without turning the pan. The 8 minute batch was a little flatter and crisper than I would have liked.


8 minute batch


6 minute batch- a little fluffier

- While the cookies cool, work on the caramel sauce and icing:

Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream

- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat sugar over medium-high until it starts to melt and you see the edges start to brown. This should take 2- 3 minutes. With a heat-resistant spatula, pull melted sugar toward the center of the pan until all sugar is melted and caramel is deep amber in color. Once the sugar starts to melt, it shouldn't take long for it to get to this point.

- Once it gets a pretty caramel color, immediately whisk in the butter, salt, and vanilla extract. There will be some bubbling, just keep whisking to make sure it all gets combined.Whisk in the heavy cream.
- This all happens pretty quick (not even time to take a photo of the process!), so make sure you have your ingredients at the ready before you start making the sauce.

- Remove it from the heat. If you are not going to make the icing immediately, put it in a heat-resistant container and let it cool.

To convert caramel sauce to icing:

1/4 cup caramel sauce
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (or maybe slightly warmer...)
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

- The recipe said that you simply "beat the butter and cooled caramel sauce until smooth."

This is much easier said than done with room temperature butter. I ended up setting my bowl on top of the stove and let the heat melt the butter down until I was able to get it smooth. I would suggest using slightly warmer butter- although not completely melted, as that would make for a completely different texture.Here's how mine looked after a bit of stovetop melting:

- Gradually add in the powdered sugar and continue to beat with a wooden spoon until smooth:

I considered using less powdered sugar, but it wasn't thick enough with only 1 cup, so I just went with it and tossed it in. The resulting icing was just a little looser than a buttercream and spread nicely on the cookies.

The icing is *pretty sweet* so I would make sure you taste it before you start slathering it on the cookies- just to gauge the amount you want on each sandwich.

NOTE: If you have an odd number of cookies, it is perfectly acceptable to spread these odd cookies out with caramel icing and use them as "testers." If you actually end up with a perfectly even number, just eat one. Then you will have an odd number. Then just eat one more. Problem solved.
Using the teaspoon-sized scoops, this recipe made just about 60 cookies. Do a little math... carry the one... that made for approximately 29 sandwiches. Yep. 29 ;)

Holiday Cookies #2: Orange Butter Cookies with a Grand Marnier Glaze

2011-11-26T06:08:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in the holiday edition of Fine Cooking magazine last year and couldn't wait for the holidays to roll around again so I could have an excuse to bake up a batch (or two...)

These cookies are simple to make, yet have a great complex flavor- the combination of citrus with a hint of salt nicely compliment the naturally buttery flavor of the cookie. They look great cut into clean, simple circles, or you can get creative and use more holiday-appropriate shapes :) I was tempted to use my ninjabreadmen cookie cutters, but I opted for some simple flower cutters instead.

The cookies can take a bit of time to make, depending on the size of the shapes you use. Using these relatively small shapes, this batch made approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Orange Butter Cookies with Grand Marnier Glaze

Cookies:

2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; more as needed
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs. finely grated orange zest
3 large egg yolks
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Grand Marnier glaze:

4 oz. (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbs. Grand Marnier
1-1/2 Tbs. heavy cream; more as needed
2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
Pinch of table salt

- Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

- Beat the butter, sugar, and zest until well-blended, about 2 minutes:

- Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing until blended after each. Add vanilla with the last egg yolk, and mix for one additional minute.

- Add the flour and mix on low speed until moist clumps form- this should take about 1 minute.

- Turn dough onto a work surface and divide into 2 discs:

-Wrap each disc in plastic and refrigerate for abut 30 minutes.

-After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 350 deg. Roll the dough to approx 1/4" thick.

- Cut the dough into desired shapes and place about 1" apart.

-Bake until the edges become golden brown, 9-13 minutes. Again, this will depend on size, so I would keep an eye on them starting at 8 minutes if your cookies are small. Also, depending on how your oven heats, you may want to rotate the pan halfway through.

-Mix the glaze ingredients. I have made this a couple of times and this part will be a matter of personal preference. Don't get me wrong, I looove the flavor of Grand Marnier. However, the raw flavor of 2 tbsp of the liquor can end up overwhelming all of the other flavors. It might be best to just add one tbsp and, if that is sufficient, add a little extra cream to loosen the glaze enough to spread. Or, if you add the full 2 tbsp and it seems like too much, just add a bit more powdered sugar and cream to even it out.

- Spread the glaze over the cooled cookies and give them some time to dry. Don't try stacking them when they are still wet, or you will end up with one giant mass of stuck-together (yet still tasty) cookies.

Holiday Cookies: #1- Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

2011-11-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

I LOVE love love love these cookies. I found the recipe last year, in a Martha Stewart holiday cookie magazine that I bought on a whim in the grocery store checkout line. Since then, I have probably made at least a dozen batches of these cookies. I decided it was time to start holiday baking, and where better to begin than my favorite sweet and spicy cookies.

These chocolatey tidbits have a crunchy saltiness from the chunks of salt in the batter, and a nice bit of sweet and heat from the cayenne mixture they are rolled in just before baking. I have been in love with pretty much anything combining salty and sweet for years, and these combined with a salted caramel mocha make for a super tasty and decadent holiday treat.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

I have made it with regular cocoa powder, but strongly prefer a Dutch Dark Cocoa- Hershey's Special Dark, specifically.

2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powdered cayenne pepper

This can be altered based on personal preference. I like the 1/2 tsp, but when I'm making them for people who don't like spice or if I'm not sure if they will like spice, I usually do just over 1/4 tsp.

Preheat oven to 400 deg.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy- this should take about 2 minutes.
Add eggs and beat until everything is combined. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until it all comes together.

At this point, I usually like to pop the dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes- having it cold makes it a little easier to roll in into balls with minimal mess.

While the dough is chillin', take a small bowl and mix the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and whatever amount of cayenne powder you would like to use. Take a tablespoon and form it into a ball of dough. Roll the ball in the cinnamon mixture. Gently bounce it in your palm to allow any excess to shake of through your fingers. I find the cookies are best when the mixture is in a holiday-appropriate bowl:

Place the balls about 2-3 inches apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake until cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. This will vary based on your oven. I have had them be perfect after 8 minutes in one oven, and then overcooked after 8 minutes in another. Unless you like crispier cookies, they are best when pulled from the oven while they are still soft to the touch- they should deflate a little if you try to touch one with your fingertips. At this level of done-ness, they will be chewy and slightly fudgy, and stay soft for approx 3-4 days.

Let the cookies cool on sheets on wire racks for a few minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to finish cooling.