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What’s Not On My New Year’s Resolution List(And Why)

Written on January 1, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Holiday

Every time this year millions of people make plans about what they’re going to change in their life. But not me. I’ve always hated New Year’s Resolutions. Part of it is that I’ll set unachievable goals for myself; part of it is that, if I want to change my life in September, I’m not going to wait until January to do it. Here are the things that you won’t find on my list:

1. Dieting, because that’s no fun. I’m a healthy eater. I eat my greens, just sometimes that’s in the form of mint chip ice cream. I can deal with it.

2. Running a marathon. Yes, I’m signed up for one, and yes, I intend to train as best I can for the big day. But no one should push their body through 26.2 miles if it’s not ready for that. Instead of making your fitness resolution about the end point, make it about the journey.

3. Eating less chocolate, for the same reason as number 1.

4. Watching less TV. I admire Heather for her own goal but that’d be a lonely extra 12 hours each day.

5. Tweet less. I’m a bird and I’m going to chirp, chirp, chirp.

6. Going to bed earlier, because if I went to bed any earlier I’d miss my primetime television(see number 4).

7. Giving up coffee for green tea. It’s not the same; don’t let anyone tell you differently.

8. Being on The Today Show, because I don’t want to start getting desperate around next November and start sending kids through the air in silver balloons.

What does that leave? I’m not quite sure. I’ll leave it until 2012 to figure that out.

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My 10 Favorite Recipes Of 2010

Written on December 31, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Recipe Round-Up

It’s the last day of 2010 and I for one am excited. A new year is the perfect time for new beginnings. And I get to see Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper joke around in Times Square tonight; what could be better?

Before the year is over, I wanted to look back at 10 recipes that shined through in 2010. Some of these I’ve made recently, but most of them I just remembered making this list and now want to go back and make again. Enjoy!

Microwave Vegan Chocolate Fudge. I think this is the most viewed recipe page, and an obvious candidate for this lift. I have some in my refrigerator right now. That won’t be true for long.

Chocolate Orange Brownies. I don’t know if this is the best brownie recipe out there, but it’s definitely one of the best flavor pairings there ever was. And it has fruit, so that means it’s healthy! Right?

Brown Sugar Garlic Tofu. This tofu is nothing but good. It’s definitely not the kind of dish for a first date; you’ll have garlic breath for weeks. But it’s worth it.

Vegan Tofu Burgers. In my frustrating search for a veggie burger without eggs or wheat, the clear winner at the end of the day was this homemade recipe. It’s just 6 simple ingredients and a great meal to keep around.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Dessert Hummus. The new kid on the block, dessert hummus has stolen hearts with it’s sweet flavor and smooth texture. This combination of peanut butter and chocolate is a clear favorite.

The Best Quinoa Stuffing. It’s not called “The Best” for nothing. Even my 81-year old Italian great aunt liked it, and it’s hard to compete with her usual meal of Burger King and an orange shake.

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Homemade Baked Beans. It’s true: Homemade just tastes better. These might take 10 hours to make but they’re completely worth it. The deep, rich molasses flavor just gets better and better.

Vegan Truffles. These are a bit much, but they are the ultimate chocolate lover’s experience. Even if you use the cheaper method, the chocolate still tastes rich and decadent and pure. Bookmark it for Valentine’s Day.

Hazelnut Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt. I couldn’t make this list without adding an ice cream since 2010 was when I first discovered the beauty of homemade ice cream. This is rich and satisfying and tastes just like the real dessert!.

My 10th spot is an honorable mention to chocolate midnight cake from Sweet Utopia. I feel like I’ve made this 2010 times; it’s so good and my go-to chocolate cake, vegan or not.

And that’s the list! Hope you see something you like. Have a fun and safe New Years Smile

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Hot Honey Asian Chicken Marinade

Written on December 30, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

One of my parents’ favorite things to eat for dinner is chicken. It’s a nice, lean protein(because you know everyone’s always on a diet until the weekend) and it takes on flavors wonderfully. We like to keep things simple here, so a marinade is perfect; you just throw the chicken and sauce together in a bag in the morning and it’s ready to bake that night—no fuss!

This has a fun, savory flavor that’s not too abrasive but definitely not boring. It pairs perfectly with seasoned rice or steamed vegetables.

Hot Honey Asian Chicken Marinade

Ingredients:

1lb skinned and deboned chicken
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large Ziploc bag, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, water, salt, chili powder, and black pepper. Add in the chicken and shake it so that the liquid mixture covers everything. Put the chicken and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to rest.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Bake the chicken for 45 minutes in the sauce until it has cooked through.

I love it when a recipe has extra sauce so that you can pour it all over your sides and make it feel like a complete dish. This makes plenty of extra, so pour it on thick and dig in.

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Double Take: Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

Written on December 29, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

I usually don’t like to make the same recipe too often; the flavors get old fast with me. So making the same brownie recipe twice in one month is unheard of for me.

But before I knew it I was craving something chocolaty and nutty. These brownies instantly popped into my mind. I only had 1/4 cup of Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter left so I improvised the other half with Justin’s chocolate almond butter. The result was a fun mix of nutty flavor.

I ended up adding too much liquid without measuring(see, measuring is important!) and they came out more cakey than I usually like. But they were still satisfyingly rich and practically melted in my mouth.

Try them with a glass of chocolate almond milk and you will never look back.

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Gluten-Free Pizzelles

Written on December 28, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert, Holiday

2 years ago one of the gifts I asked for for Christmas was a pizzelle maker. If you aren’t from an Italian family, you might not even know what a pizzelle is: A pizzelle is a thin, wafer-like cookie often flavored with lemon or anise with a snowflake pattern. It’s a traditional Italian cookie and one of my family’s favorites. To cook them, you need a special iron. These used to be made out of iron and you’d hold them over a hot flame but now Cuisinart makes a great electric press. This year was my first time making them gluten-free and with a few changes to the original recipe they came out fantastic! I’m happy I can still enjoy these traditional treats even under some untraditional circumstances.

Gluten-Free Pizzelles

3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
2 teaspoons anise extract
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour(I like Bob’s Red Mill’s)

In a large bowl, Sift together your flour and sugar. Add in the oil and anise and whisk. Continue whisking as you beat in the eggs and the dough has come together.

Heat a standard pizzelle maker until it’s ready. Take about a 1-inch round scoop of dough and put it in the center of the press. Close the lid and cook about 3 to 4 minutes until both sides have browned. Remove the cookies to a plate to cool.

As any Italian grandmother will tell you(well, not my Italian grandmother. My Italian grandmother would rather have a Little Debbie snack cake), there’s no real “science” to cooking pizzelles. You add as much dough looks right and cook until they don’t need to be cooked any more. The more you make these, the better you’ll get at judging the right amounts and cooking times.

These are a great homemade gift to anyone who likes a cookie. They’re flavorful and festive and perfect with a cup of tea at the end of the night.

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Fudge Pies

Written on December 27, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

What could be better than a cookie? Well, how about 2 cookies with a rich and decadent filling. I thought that would grab your attention. When I made these cookies for our family get-together on Christmas day, they were OK but nothing memorable. I wanted to incorporate more chocolate(because I always do) and decided to make a filling to match the richness of the cookie. These easily became something amazing and were a hit(but, you know, what isn’t with chocolate?).

Fudge Pies

Ingredients(Makes 24 cookies or 12 pies):

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
5 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

For the ganache:

8oz chocolate chips
2oz heavy cream(or non-dairy cream)

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and mix until the dough is nice and thick. Move it to a refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to cool.

While the dough is chilling, preheat an oven to 350 degrees and line baking trays with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and drop them on the tray.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until they expand and crack. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on wire racks.

To make the filling, melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler. Slowly beat in the cream and continue to mix until it has emulsified.

Pour a spoonful of ganache in the center of half of the cookies. Then, take an equal-sized cookie and make a sandwich out of the two. Let the ganache harden before serving.

These reminded me of a Little Debbie Fudge Round only so much better. The cookies were fresh and the chocolate was rich and full of flavor. I think the only thing that would have made this better would have been sea salt in the ganache but I was making this for a crowd and not sure of everyone’s taste. If you ever have an occasion to go over the top(and, let’s face it, what else are the holidays for?!) try these.

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When In Doubt, Make Cake Balls

Written on December 26, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

I have finally tried Bakerella’s cake balls and I have been converted.

For Christmas, I thought I’d try to make a new recipe to mimic what was always a family favorite. Unfortunately, that didn’t turn out so well, and I couldn’t bear to bring a dessert that was so clearly unlike the original.

After thinking about how to salvage the dessert, I decided to try cake balls. I have seen these on almost every blog and they always get good reviewed. In the center is crumbled up baked goods mixed with frosting, and on the outside is chocolate melted down and hardened.

I had made cookies which were moist enough on their own to hold together without any frosting. All I had to do was mush them all into a bowl, melt chocolate, and roll the ball around in the liquid chocolate letting them cool later in a refrigerator. I did half dark chocolate and half white chocolate.

You never would have known these weren’t what I intended to make from the start; they were that good. I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t get to make frosting(because I love buttercream) but I’ll live, and probably with a smaller waist, too.

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Happy Holidays From The Wannabe Chef

Written on December 25, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Holiday

I’m taking the day off from cooking to be with family and eat(mostly just eating). Happy holidays!

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Nut Lover’s Dark Chocolate Bark

Written on December 24, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Recently, I’ve picked up an addiction for chocolate covered nuts that somebody gave me as a gift. It combines two of my favorite things: Chocolate and nuts(so many jokes, so little time). Even though I’m not through with the bag, I’ve been thinking about how to make my own, because “fancy” nuts(again, so little time) are some of the most overpriced foods at the grocery store. Instead, I made my own in the form of bark. Bark is festive, cheap, and the perfect personalized gift. This tastes like it should cost twice as much as it took to make, and it was so simple, too! Put this under the tree for the nut lover in your life.

Nut Lover’s Dark Chocolate Bark

Ingredients(Makes 15-20 servings)

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules(optional)
3oz(3/4 cup) peanuts
3oz(3/4 cup) almonds
3oz(3/4 cup) cashews
Sea salt

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Lay out all the nuts on a baking tray and roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes, jostling the pan every 5 minutes or so to make sure they don’t burn.

While the nuts are roasting, melt down the chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave. When the chocolate is smooth and melted, add in the cocoa powder and instant coffee and stir(note: These don’t change the texture of the chocolate; they just add a rich, dark flavor that make this taste much better than regular chocolate chips would).

Line a tray with parchment paper and spread the chocolate into a smooth layer about 1/4-inch thick.

Add the nuts onto the chocolate and press down firmly with your palms to push them in. It’s OK that the chocolate will spread a little more. Lastly, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the bark. Stick this in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to harden. Break into individual pieces.

This was delicious. It would have made the perfect gift if I could part with it; instead, I ate 3 pieces the afternoon I made it and just said Merry Christmas to me. This tastes so much more decadent and expensive than it has a right to. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

What would your favorite bark have in it?

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Bacon-Fried Quinoa

Written on December 23, 2010 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

I love leftovers. Even though they’re already cooked and flavored, they’re so easy to make into something new and flavorful. Some foods even get better on age. I made The Best Quinoa Stuffing to bring to a party on Sunday. First of all, you wouldn’t be able to imagine how much Italian grandmothers loved quinoa, even if they couldn’t spell it for their life. Soft, flavorful and easy to chew? It was bound to be a winner with my family. With the leftovers I wanted to do something a little different; I decided to cook it like I would leftover rice, except add bacon because bacon makes it better. Chinese restaurants should take a hint from me.

Bacon-Fried Quinoa

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon, diced
1/2 cup leftover, prepared quinoa(I used The Best Quinoa Stuffing)
1 egg
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Heat a pan over low-medium heat. Add in the diced bacon and cook it until it’s pink and starting to crisp at the edges.

Add in the leftover quinoa, egg, and soy sauce. Constantly move the ingredients around in the pan over the heat until the egg has cooked and the fat has been absorbed. Be careful as the quinoa tends to pop when the pan is dry. Serve hot.

Just like fried rice, this isn’t the prettiest dish but boy does it taste good. Adding the soy sauce and bacon elevates the flavor of the quinoa a lot; I could hardly tell this was the same dish as the leftovers.

I served it with steamed brussel sprouts with a little soy sauce, because I just love brussel sprouts and bacon. You could add more vegetables to cook with the bacon and make this into a stir-fry. Or you could forget vegetables together and add more bacon. I’m not one to judge when it comes to loving bacon.

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