5 Ingredient Almond Joys

Growing up, my grandmother was lovingly known for, among many other things, her candy bar stash. After dinner my brothers and I could always count on our pick of the loot, which usually included an assortment of full size Kit-Kats, Three Musketeers, Chunky Bars, Mr. Goodbars, Raisinettes and Almond Joys. I think we were always a little awed by the fact that one person could have such an assortment of candy at any given time. We were probably also stunned by her ability to resist consuming it all in one day. I mean, hello! there’s like 20 candy bars in there! But to be honest, I don’t remember Grandma eating a candy bar. I don’t think it was really her thing, and I can say with a fair amount of certainty that she got much more pleasure out of giving them away.

For a while I wanted nothing to do with nuts or any other distraction crowding my chocolate, so Three Musketeers was my go-to for a long time. Then I matured and, you know, realized nuts were pretty much made to be mixed with chocolate, so Chunky Bars became my pick of choice (they inspired this recipe, posted back in January), followed by Raisinettes. Then I warmed up to Almond Joys. There was something so enticing about that creamy coconut filling topped with a crunchy almond, covered in silky smooth milk chocolate. The combination of coconut and chocolate has since been a favorite, and I wondered for a long time about how difficult it would be to recreate that candy. After glancing at the back of an Almond Joy wrapper and scanning the hefty list of ingredients, many of which I wasn’t too fond, it became my mission. And so I came up with what I consider to be a “healthier” version containing a mere five ingredients. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, caramel color and sodium metabisulfite need not apply.

Almond Joys

• ¾ cup dry unsweetened flaked coconut
• ¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 3 T light corn syrup*
• Whole unsalted roasted almonds (about 12)
• 6 oz bittersweet (60% cocoa) chocolate, coarsely chopped

In a medium bowl, combine unsweetened and sweetened coconut. Stir in light corn syrup and mix to combine (tip: use your hands to ensure even mixing). If mixture appears dry (or has trouble sticking together) add additional corn syrup, 1 tsp at a time. Shape coconut mixture into 1-inch balls, then flatten to form ½ inch x 1 ½ inch logs. Transfer to a parchment or waxed paper lined tray. Top each log with one whole almond, pressing gently into the center to adhere. Loosely cover tray with foil and freeze logs for 20-30 minutes.

In the meantime, melt chocolate over a double boiler. Using two spoons, carefully dip each log in the melted chocolate, being sure to cover completely. Transfer to a parchment paper lined tray. Once all logs have been covered, transfer tray to refrigerator. Allow the candies to chill at least 30 minutes (or until chocolate hardens). Transfer candies to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (if they last that long).

Makes 1 dozen.

*NOT the same as high fructose corn syrup, a modified corn syrup used in commercial food products.

Mixed Bean Salad with Sundried Tomatoes

I’m sorta sick of this bean salad, but I’m taking that as a good sign because I received more requests for this side dish than any other this cookout season. So apparently I am very skilled at opening five cans of beans and tossing them with sliced sundried tomatoes, slivered red onions, fresh basil and a super simple vinaigrette. Wish I could boast that this oft-requested recipe was extremely complicated and required some advanced cooking skills, but that would be a complete and utter lie. I can’t lie. I turn red and cry. Plus, complicated food is not really my style.

There is something crazy addicting about this salad, which is dangerous because, well, it’s mostly beans. So enjoy with caution. Like as a side dish as it’s intended. Attempting to consume a decent size bowl of the leftovers as a lunch entree is not recommended. I learned my lesson.

Mixed Bean Salad with Sundried Tomatoes

• 1 8-oz jar sundried tomatoes packed in oil
• 5 14-oz cans assorted beans (such as kidney, black, great northern, black-eyed, etc.), rinsed and drained
• 1/4 large red onion, sliced into thin moons
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp dry mustard
• 2-3 T sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Drain tomatoes, reserving 1/3 cup of the oil.  Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside.

To the chopped tomatoes, add the beans, red onion and basil.  Toss lightly.

In a separate bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper.  Slowly whisk in the reserved oil to make vinaigrette.  Pour over bean salad and toss.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (overnight is best).  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Smokey Roasted Tomato Soup with Chipotle

A perk (in my opinion, others might call it a sacrifice) of living in the Midwest is having four true seasons. From the bitter, snowy winters to the green, rainy springs to the balmy, humid summers to the golden, crisp falls and back again, we see it all. I’m grateful for this because, frankly, I quickly become impatient and am easily bored. With the weather, anyways. Take right this minute for example. Summer. It’s been here, officially, for 45 days. So we have, officially, 49 more days to go. (This involved some “research” and apparently there is some dispute about the length of Summer. Some say 91 days, others 94, 104 or 500. We’re going with 94 today.) The majority would celebrate this and the fact that for at least 49 more days, cookouts, zucchini and frozen pies are still “in season”. As I write this I’m feeling more and more guilty about wanting to haul my box of sweaters out of storage, and about the stack of roasted, stewed and braised recipes I’ve been printing and hoarding since early July. Instead of yearning for the next season, I should be living in the moment, reminding myself that in less than four months I will likely be donning galoshes and mittens and five tons of clothes and cursing this post. So until then, I’ll compromise. I’ll eat fall/winter fare in the dead of Summer, because I’m sweating anyways. But I’ll meet Summer halfway because that’s only fair. Taking advantage of the most fantastic crop of the season, the tomato, seems like a pretty sweet deal.

This soup is one of my favorite things to emerge from our kitchen in a while. It totally satisfied my soup cravings and a new found obsession with chipotle-seasoned-anything. I have had visions of chipotle dancing about in my dreams since trying Chipotle Tabasco for the first time a couple weeks back. It totally stuck with me. This is funny, seeing as how I don’t even own a bottle of regular Tabasco sauce. Chipotle Tabasco on top of rice and beans was just about the best.thing.ever. Sweet goodness, I could have rounded off the meal with a shot of the stuff followed by a lime wedge chaser. Ok, that’s a little dramatic. What I’m trying to say is smoked jalapenos are taking over my life and somehow made their way into this soup.

Smokey Roasted Tomato Soup with Chipotle

• 4 lbs ripe summer tomatoes (about 12 medium)
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cubanelle peppers, chopped*
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 cups reduced sodium stock
• 1-2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo, seeded (plus 1 T sauce from can)**
• 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Kosher salt
• Chopped cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice tomatoes in half. Remove cores and seeds. Line in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then season with kosher salt. Roast in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until tomatoes are very tender.

In a large stockpot heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and peppers and saute until onions are translucent (8-10 minutes). Add garlic and saute 1 minute. To the pot add the roasted tomatoes, stock, seeded chipotles, oregano and cumin. Add kosher salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Remove soup from heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes, or until cool enough to puree. Puree using an immersion blender or upright blender until smooth. Check for seasonings and serve with fresh chopped cilantro, if desired.

*If you can’t find cubanelles, substitute poblanos or bell peppers.

**Chipotle peppers will give the soup big kick. To scale back the heat, start with one seeded chipotle and puree in additional chipotle and/or adobo sauce later if you want it spicier.

Makes 8 cups.

Spiced Lamb Sliders with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

I’m not a huge red meat lover. Aside from the occasional fillet or burger, I’m content to forget about beef. But lamb. Oy. It makes me swoon. And drats, I’m not the only one, it seems. Last year I could count on finding a decent stock of ground lamb or lamb shoulder at my local grocery. Nowadays I’m engaging in purse battles with Neighbor Nelly over the last lingering loin. It’s become somewhat of a hot commodity. Who told you it was so good?

I already gave you the run down on this lamb ragu, forever ago in March. And since, there’s been hearty lamb stew and fall off the bone lamb shoulder and ack! no photos to prove it. But believe me when I tell you they happened and they were glorious and ack! no photos to prove it. I can only test Kyle’s growling stomach for so long. At times I think he’d like to chuck my camera against a wall. Plus, not everything makes for pretty pictures. So yeah, hearty lamb stew and fall of the bone lamb shoulder, both of which resembled…I digress.

The inspiration for this recipe stems from a trip to the Taste of Tremont, a Cleveland neighborhood festival highlighting the area’s best nibbles and noshes, where we happened upon these sliders. Perfectly spiced lamb mini burgers topped with a pepper aioli. I’m thinking there was some form of illegal substance laced among the legal spices because, goodness, they were euphoric. For my version, I opted for a tahini yogurt sauce instead of an aioli, to lighten it up a bit. Plus I love the cool tang of savory yogurt sauces paired with smoky sweet spices, like cumin and curry.

Enjoy these as appetizers, hors d’oerves or a main course (as we typically do). I also serve the tahini yogurt sauce as a dip with warm pita or crackers, so celebrate the leftovers. It’s also good atop stewed lentils.  

Spiced Lamb Sliders

• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 lb lean ground lamb
• slider buns or small dinner rolls, sliced and toasted
• Tahini Yogurt Sauce (recipe follows)
• arugula, romaine or favorite lettuce

Combine the spices (cumin through salt) in a small bowl. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the ground lamb and gently mix in until well distributed (I used my hands). Divide the lamb into 8 equal (approx 2 oz) parts and shape into 2-3 inch patties.

Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Grill the sliders for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until meat reaches desired doneness. Serve each slider on a toasted bun, top with yogurt tahini sauce and lettuce.

Tahini Yogurt Sauce

• 1 cup reduced fat greek yogurt
• 2 T tahini
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 tsp finely minced garlic, scraped to a paste
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes before serving.

Summer Squash Tian

We have a tiny kitchen with, I’d estimate, no more than five square feet of workable counter space. On the positive, it’s a charming space, with 1930′s black and white tile walls and white cabinets. But a cook’s kitchen it’s not, which is why I’m grateful for the small breakfast nook adjoining the kitchen to the dining room. It’s here, in this mere eight by six foot space, where the majority of the real work happens. The chopping, the assembling, the serving. It’s my favorite room in the house, hands down. In it stands our chair-less “breakfast table”, beneath which sit three large baskets to house pots and cooking utensils that I can’t seem to cram into our sparse cabinet space no matter how Martha-Stewart-organized I try to be. It’s a sanctuary, of sorts. A space meant for one. This is where Kyle usually finds me upon arriving home from work, flitting back and forth from nook to stove, nook to fridge. It’s the space I find myself standing, balancing on my left leg, right foot propped up on my left calf, hip leaning against the table, after sitting all day at my desk. Chopping and dicing. Cooking therapy. In front of my work table (the walnut stained table you see in the majority of my photos) is a western facing window. Most evenings this assures some form of daylight is streaming through, illuminating the room and the food in front of me. Even after a long workday, I am not filled with dread at the thought of making dinner (most days, anyways). Rather I am content to stand in a silent house, save the sound of sizzling onions and garlic in the kitchen, setting sun before me, slicing summer squash and potatoes into thin coins, arranging them into a tian.

This requires a little patience, just a bit. Use a rectangular baking dish and arrange the vegetables in rows instead. Or, just toss all the vegetables together and call it a summer squash bake. But then your significant other won’t comment on the beautiful presentation, which may or may not come off as sarcastic, possibly because dinner wasn’t on the table until 8:30. Hey, my tian therapy session took a little longer than expected.

Summer Squash Tian

• 2 T olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb zucchini
• 1 lb yellow squash
• 1 lb yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 2 tsp dried herbes de Provence*
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a medium round or rectangular baking dish.

Heat 1 T olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook 2 minutes. Spread cooked onions and garlic in the bottom of prepared baking dish.

Slice the zucchini, squash and potatoes crosswise into 1/4th inch thick coins. Keep each vegetable in separate bowls. To each vegetable, add about 1-2 tsp olive oil, 1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt, a sprinkling of black pepper and 1/2 tsp herbes de Provence, and toss to coat.

Arrange in a single layer, alternating vegetables, on top of onion mixture. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and continue to cook, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender and cheese is light golden brown. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

*If you don’t have herbes de Provence, substitute a combination of thyme, marjoram, rosemary and/or savory.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Citrus Cornmeal Cake with Blueberry Sauce

I waivered on this recipe. A cornmeal cake? That’s not really my thing. The desserts that emerge from my kitchen are typically of the chocolate variety or involve frosting, or at the least call for butter. (I maintain a mostly healthy kitchen, after all, and wouldn’t have it any other way.) This cake is unconventional by those sweets standards. No chocolate, no frosting, no lick of butter in sight. And I’m happy to report it wasn’t missed. At all, really. 

It all started with the bag of cornmeal I purchased in preparation for a healthier onion ring (oh yes) recipe that remains to be tested. (I have high hopes, friends.) That bag of cornmeal got me thinking about cornbread. And cornbread got me thinking about a big steaming pot of chili. And visions of chili conjured up thoughts of autumn and then whack, back up the train, Carolyn. It’s June. I’ve resolved to save cornbread and chili for fall, but this cake satisfied those cravings. It’s sweet enough for a light summer dessert but works just as well for breakfast or as an afternoon pick me up. At least that’s what a little bird told me.

Play with the citrus as you please. Go with all orange or all lemon, or all lime even (which I think would be terrific with blackberry sauce!). The original recipe suggests wine in place of the juice as an alternative. I think sherry would be delicious, but I might stir poppyseeds into the batter and hold the fruit compote.

As with many cakes, this is even better the next day after the flavors have married and settled. The crumb is more tender and the flavors more pronounced. The berry sauce keeps for a few days in the fridge.

Citrus Cornmeal Cake

• 1/2 cup light olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup citrus juice (I used the juice from 2 oranges, 1 lemon and half a lime)
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fine ground yellow cornmeal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom with a round of parchment paper or foil, and spray paper with oil.

In a large bowl whisk together the oil, eggs, white and brown sugars, vanilla, juice and zest. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt, and whisk gently to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool cake in pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake, invert cake gently onto a plate, and remove parchment paper. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely. Serve with blueberry compote or fresh fruit, if desired.

Easy Blueberry Sauce

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 2-3 T water
• 2 T powdered sugar, or to taste

Combine blueberries and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer until blueberries soften and juices thicken (10-15 minutes). Stir in powdered sugar and continue to cook for 5 minutes more, or until sauce reaches desired thickness.

Roasted Tomato, Olive and Fontina Pizza

I was craving margherita. Simple, bright and basil-y. Trouble is my basil’s not quite there yet and the local tomatoes are far from ripe, if they’ve even made their green appearance. So to spare myself the mealy, bland grocery store tomato imports I decided to impart big flavor on, well, mealy, bland grocery store tomato imports. This works if, like me, you’re too impatient to just wait until July and August when Ohio tomatoes make their grand and glorious debut. Roasting is the simplest way to elevate any vegetable to new and glorious…well, you know what I mean. These would make for a great twist on margharita, but I decided to shake it up a bit with some Italian fontina and green olives.

And by the way, do you have a pizza stone? No? Well get thee one, pronto. I’ve tried various pizza “pans”. Ones with holes and vents and special powers but nothing comes close to creating crispy bottoms like a stone. You can see in the photo that ours is nearly black from use. Ok, so we eat a lot of pizza.

Roasted Tomato, Olive and Fontina Pizza

• Pizza dough
• Olive oil
• Minced garlic
• Italian fontina cheese, coarsely shredded
• Roasted tomatoes (recipe follows)
• Sicilian green olives, pitted and sliced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set pizza stone in the oven as it preheats.

Roll pizza dough to desired thinness on a well floured (or use cornmeal) cutting board or piece of parchment. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic. Top with shredded cheese (I used about 1 cup per 12-inch thin pizza), followed by a layer of roasted tomatoes and sliced olives.

Carefully remove hot stone from oven and slide pizza onto stone. Return to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Roasted Tomatoes

• 12 plum tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Cracker black pepper
• Dried Italian herbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Halve tomatoes (stem end to bottom) and remove cores and seeds. Place in a single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle each with olive oil, then top with kosher salt, black pepper and dried Italian herbs.

Roast, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until tomatoes have flattened and caramelized and juices have evaporated.

Last weekend I was lucky enough to photograph M and her adorable (growing) family. I think they may have a new addition on their hands by week’s end!

Here are a few of my favorite shots…

Seared Salmon with Lentil Tabbouleh

So look, I’ve been busy. Though not busy cooking, unfortunately. Is May practically over? What happened? Where? Who? Huh? Yeah, I can’t really tell you where May has gone because I’m done near stumped myself. (Wasn’t I just describing this Spring blooming scene, like last week?) And this little ol’ blog has sort of been pushed to the back burner. My Google Reader is out of control with unread feeds. My to-make list is stained with coffee cup rounds, having been used as a coaster and not for weekly inspiration.

While I can’t explain this out of control time-space continuum we’ve experienced, I can tell you I’m tired of take-out. And peanut butter toast. And Annie’s mac and cheese. Oh, and ice cream for dinner. Yes, that happened. Well, we’re both tired of these things. Kyle, fearing the worst, doesn’t bother to ask what I’m making, but instead asks where he’ll be stopping on the way home from work. May, is this a sign of what’s to pass in the coming months? Please say no. I miss my kitchen.

It wasn’t a difficult decision. That is, what to cook when the opportunity finally presented itself. We were both craving fresh and healthy. Though anything that didn’t come out of a box, take-out bag or (eep!) frozen carton totally qualified. This fit the bill perfectly.

Traditional tabbouleh made with bulgur wheat alone is dandy, but I need not remind you of my love for lentils. I think I prefer this version. It’s heartier and could serve as a delicious meal in and of itself, with the lentils bumping up the protein and fiber. Plus, it makes for superb leftovers and near instant lunches. I topped it with a little cheese one day, tuna the next.

Seared Salmon with Lentil Tabbouleh

• 2 cups cooked bulgur wheat (from about 1 cup dry)
• 2 – 2 1/2 cups cooked brown or green lentils (from about 1 cup dry)
• 2 cups chopped English cucumber
• 1 cup chopped seeded tomato
• 1 cup chopped green onions (green and light green parts)
• 1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 6-oz center cut salmon fillets, skin removed

In a large bowl, gently toss together bulgur through parsley. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat. Check for seasonings, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (can be made a day in advance, which improves the flavor).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub tops of salmon fillets with olive oil and season liberally with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Sear salmon fillets, top side down, for 2 minutes. Gently flip fillets and transfer skillet to the preheated oven to finish cooking, about 7-8 minutes for medium and 9 minutes for medium-well. Remove from oven, cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Cinnamon Spiced Caramel Corn

A quick and easy weekend recipe for you.

I would normally pass on this sort of thing, preferring savory popcorn to sweet. But this sounded good. And tasted even better. It’s a pretty bold blend of spices. Some cinnamon, a hearty helping of nutmeg, a little cardamom and a pinch of ground cloves. Coupled with a simple caramel and some toasted macadamia nuts, it’s swoon-worthy. And total fair food. Just in time for Memorial Day. It’s like a marriage of crunchy caramel corn, spiced toffee and cinnamon roasted nuts. Beware your dental work.

Cinnamon Spiced Caramel Corn

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 T light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• pinch ground cloves
• 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 cups plain popcorn
• 1 cup toasted macadamia nut halves

Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat) or parchment and set aside.

In a large deep pot, at least 12 inches wide, stir together water, sugar, and corn syrup. Add nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat without stirring. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush down the sides of the pan to remove any undissolved sugar granules. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, tilting and swirling the pan, until the mixture just begins to smoke and is a deep caramel color, 4 to 5 minutes more.

Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Then stir in the popcorn and nuts. Gently toss until evenly coated. Pour onto prepared baking sheet in a single layer and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.