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Tag Archive: Food

Eat Your Feelings

Written on September 7, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

I have the internet to thank for letting me know this past weekend was Labor Day, and all of the tweets and Facebook statuses about having a day off from work. My mind was pretty occupied because it was moving weekend for me. For the third time I moved back to Providence to start another school year. But first was a day of packing, loading, driving, unloading, unpacking and organizing, and for someone who hates change like me that’s pretty much Hell on Earth.

I should say the day wasn’t all bad; what definitely helped was the trip to Wildflour for a smoothie and raw ganache torte to take home for later. Some people like to unwind with a cold beer on a Friday night, or a glass of wine paired with dinner. I am without question a chocolate man. At the end of the day I just want to sit down with something rich, sweet, and—most importantly—chocolaty, and this was one hell of a day.

I thought I might stop after half. This thing is after all pretty much a block of coconut oil, cocoa powder, cocoa butter(?), sugar, and nuts, and I’ve still got a ways to go before I’ll be in the shape I want to be in for the Philadelphia Marathon. But with each bite I remembered the surprise trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond, the frantic trip through Whole Foods to restock an empty fridge, the plate of raw vegetables, hummus, and plain tempeh that became dinner because I had no energy to cook, and the chocolate made all of that feel better.

There’s been something going around on Pinterest to the effect of,

“Don’t reward yourself with food. You’re not a dog.”

Excuse me? But I love food, especially the ones that are bad for me. And I love dogs, too. I don’t see the problem here.

Food has a way of affecting your mood, both good and bad. There are things you can’t control, like a long day at work, or other people’s attitude, or stressful move. But you can control what you put in your body. And sometimes the best thing for your body is filled with sugar, fat, and—of course—chocolate.

We all saw where that was going, right?

Go ahead; eat your feelings once and a while. You’ll feel better for it.

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Butter Toffee Peanut Butter

Written on September 6, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

I’ve tried a lot of different peanut butters, but Naturally Nutty’s Butter Toffee Peanut Butter really takes the ~~cake~~ toast, with a sweet, buttery flavor combined with crunchy sugar granules. You can buy this peanut butter from their online store, or in stores if you’re lucky enough to live in Michigan. I, however, am cheap and a New Englander and so decided to make my own.

I would take the real deal brand name any day over mine, but this homemade version isn’t half bad, or a quarter bad, or bad at all. It’s great, in fact, slightly melted onto toast first thing in the morning or a square of chocolate at night.

Don’t have the time to make your own butter toffee peanuts? Buy your own and blend them up and you can have this in 5 minutes.

Butter Toffee Peanut Butter

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients(makes about 24 ounces):

1lb unsalted peanuts, skin-off
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and line a baking tray with non-stick foil or parchment paper.
In a small pot over low heat, melt the butter, sugar, and salt together.
Toss the peanuts in the melted butter and sugar until fully coated and lay them out on the baking tray in an even layer.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the butter and sugar start to bubble and coagulate, but making sure not to burn any of it.
Remove the peanuts from the oven and let them cool completely.
Move the peanuts into a food processor and blend until completely smooth.
Store in sealed containers in a refrigerator for up to a month.

When cold, the consistency is solid yet still creamy and spreadable. You can let it sit out for 5 minutes to get even softer or microwave the jar for about 30 seconds to get it warm and drippy.

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Go-To Hummus Recipe

Written on September 1, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

This weekend was a rush. When everyone else was loading up on food to brace for Hurricane Irene, we were loading up on food for a neighborhood party. I made a few things including hummus, because what’s a party without hummus? Ain’t no party like a hummus party ‘cause a hummus party don’t stop.

My favorite hummus recipe isn’t very fancy. It doesn’t have red pepper or pine nuts or artichokes or whatever. It’s just a trusty, reliable, go-to garlic hummus. What really helps enhance the flavor is a hefty dose of salt, good olive oil, and peeled chickpeas.

Peeling chickpeas is a little tip I learned from bloggers for a smoother, creamier hummus. It takes a lot more time and it’s kind of a gross process, but once you taste hummus made with peeled chickpeas it’s hard to justify going back to “regular”. If you don’t have time, don’t worry and skip it.

Go-To Hummus Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes(plus way more if you decide to peel the chickpeas)

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

2 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and peeled(optional but recommended)
6 roasted garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil(preferably Greek)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add extra water if desired for a slightly thinner consistency.
Serve at room temperature. Store leftovers in a refrigerator.

I added a little bit of Garlic Gold on top for some added crunch and texture. It was a neighborhood party and there was a storm keeping everyone inside; garlic breath was not a big concern.

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Sesame Mushroom And Kale

Written on August 31, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

Last week a reader asked me to post about how I cook kale and specifically a mushroom/kale side dish I photographed. You don’t have to ask me twice to cook this dish; kale and mushrooms are two of my favorite foods when prepared properly.

This recipe cooks kale by steaming it, which gets it to that soft and tender point without removing many nutrients. Properly steamed kale should be bright green, stiff, and still have a crunch in its stalk.

As for the mushrooms, I’m a big believer in that you don’t need to buy the expensive mushrooms to bring out an expensive flavor. Mushrooms do a great job of soaking up whatever you give them, so I use oil and seasonings to make the cheapest mushrooms taste like a 5 star dish.

I’m crazy for this sesame seasoning I got in a swag bag from a conference last month.

They do not hold back on the ginger, which I love. You can either use a seasoning like this or make the recipe with just sesame seeds and salt for a milder flavor.

Sesame Mushroom And Kale

Prep time: 0 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(makes 2 servings):

2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2/3 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups kale
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan that has a lid over medium heat.
Sauté the mushrooms until they’ve browned on both sides.
Add the kale and cover the pan. Let it stand still for about a minute while the kale steams.
When all of the kale has turned a vibrant green color, remove the pan from the heat. Add the salt and sesame seeds and toss all of the ingredients together.
Serve hot.

I like to eat mine with seared tempeh, another favorite. Just toss the tempeh in the pan and cook it until it’s browned on both side. It’s delicious and one of the healthiest soy products for you. If you know anyone who refuses to eat healthy because they think healthy eating is bland, this is the dish that will change their mind.

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Quick Fruit Sauce

Written on August 30, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Sauce

This Summer I’ve been obsessed with these pancakes. Maybe it’s because I hadn’t had good gluten-free pancakes before them. Or because I’m just relishing having a stove that’s not 3 floors down(oh, the life of a student).

As much as I loved having them with a dredge of maple syrup, I figured that couldn’t be good day after day. Instead I wanted to sweeten them the natural way with some fruit. By using chia seeds to thicken the sauce, it comes together literally in minutes but has the texture of a sauce that’s been cooking for much longer.

Look how thick it is(that’s what she said)! It’s hearty, warm, and the perfect pancake companion. The chia seeds not only thicken but also add a healthy dose of omega-3s.

You can use almost any fruit for this—strawberries, blueberries, cherries, grapes, mango. The one exception I’ve found is that using all raspberries creates a very tart sauce. If you want to make a raspberry version, switch out half with a sweeter fruit like strawberries or add a tablespoon of sweetener.

Quick Fruit Sauce

Prep Time: 0 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(makes 1-2 servings):

3/4 cup fruit, fresh or frozen
1 Tablespoon chia seeds

Method:

Pour the fruit into a microwavable bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute for fresh fruit or 3 minute for frozen fruit until hot and bubbly.
Mash the fruit into a puree and mix in the chia seeds.
Let the sauce sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Pour hot onto pancakes, waffles, French toast, or a dessert.

This is so easy to make, I throw it together in between mixing and pouring the pancake batter. If it gets better than that, I don’t know how.

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Chocolate Rum Truffles

Written on August 29, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

If you’ve been reading for a long time, you know I don’t really like alcohol, unless it’s in dessert and then I go crazy for it. If I wrote It’s a Wonderful Life, the line would have been, “every time chocolate is mixed with liquor, an angel gets its wings.” I think these are that good. The texture is soft and almost chewy, like a chocolate candy with a sweet, seductive twist.

Embarrassingly enough I’m a lightweight and one of these is enough to make me feel way too good. When I was tempering and tasting the chocolate I wasn’t sure there was enough rum in it, but once the truffles were cooled and I took a bite—wow! They pack a punch of flavor.

No rum? No problem. Improvise the recipe with a different liquor. I can’t wait to try these with Kahlua.

Chocolate Rum Truffles

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time:

Ingredients(makes about 20 truffles):

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips OR 9.7oz semi-sweet baking chocolate cut into chunks
2oz Bacardi rum
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder plus more for dusting

Method:

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Once it’s in a liquid state, slowly incorporate the rum until it’s all combined and evenly mixed.
Cool the chocolate and rum in a refrigerator for 10 minutes until it’s hardened but still sticks to itself.
Sift in the cocoa powder while mixing the chocolate until all the cocoa powder has been used.
Tear off pieces of chocolate and roll it into 1-inch balls.
Fill a shallow bowl with cocoa powder and roll each ball in the powder until covered all around.
Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

After making these we’re almost out of rum and chocolate chips. That’s what I call an emergency.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Balls

Written on August 26, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

Something exciting happened last week: I went viral for the first time. No, that doesn’t mean I need to be put on antibiotics. My post on Raw/Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cake got picked up on StumbleUpon and things got a little crazy. In 3 days it obliterated almost every page view record my tiny little site had. Last I checked it had 26,000 views; I guess people like cake? I posted How To Use StumbleUpon To Promote Blog Content last February and had a little success since then but this was ridiculous.

Because of that, I’ve had this cake on my mind pretty much non-stop since. Even though it’s raw and vegan, cake isn’t really a “health food”. I wanted something like it that I could eat any time, any place. These chewy little balls are just that. They’re flavorful, portable, and incredibly delicious. It’s almost like having the real dessert but much more socially acceptable for a mid-afternoon snack… or at 10am when you still haven’t put on clothes for the day.

Make sure when you’re forming the balls that there are no date pits in the final product. Even though store-bought dates are usually pit-free, it’s very likely that one or two slipped by, and those are not nice to bite in to.

Chocolate Hazelnut Balls

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(makes 14 balls):

1 1/4 cup hazelnuts, raw
2 cups pitted dates
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
~2 Tablespoons water

Method:

Blend the hazelnuts into a fine powder in a food processor
Add in the dates and continue blending until the dates have broken up into smaller pieces
Add the cocoa powder and continue blending
Slowly add water into the processor while blending until the flour starts sticking to itself and becoming a dough. Stop adding water and turn off the food processor as soon as the ingredients hold together and form a giant ball.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

These make a perfectly healthy snack…

…until you remember you still have leftover frosting and decide to make 2 balls into a cake. Still pretty healthy and incredibly delicious.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Written on August 23, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

The last time I posted was 5 days ago. There’s a reason for my absence. I spent all week in Philadelphia at the Healthy Living Summit living it up with some great friends. I learned and did so many things in Philly that I can’t wait to share. But not yet. I got home late last night and my head(and bedroom floor) are currently a mess.

One thing I can share is this brownie recipe. Like the almond flour brownie recipe, I baked these and packed them up to bring to Philly and share with bloggers. Most of all I was excited to share these with Cynthia, who also has food allergies(gluten, soy, almond, hazelnut, refined sugar, and dairy). I didn’t have a recipe that avoided all of those allergens, so I made one up and said a little prayer. At first I worried they came out too cakey for my preference, but one taste and I was sold. The only question remaining was how would other people like them.

The response to these was overwhelming. As soon as I tweeted out, the brownies started selling like hotcakes(but way better because they’re brownies, duh). Cynthia really enjoyed them, as did Meghann, Julie, and too many other bloggers to count. I don’t care how good food tastes; nothing feels as good as sharing it with others.

If you’re baking for someone with a peanut or tree nut allergy, sunflower seed butter makes a great substitute for peanut butter.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients(makes 16 brownies):

4.5oz unsweetened baking chocolate(I used Scharffen Berger because it’s soy-free)
1 3/4 cups maple syrup, divided
1 cup unsweetened peanut butter, divided
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour(I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all purpose flour)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs
1/3 cup water

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the chocolate and whisk in 1 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the baking powder, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Whisk in 2 eggs and 1/3 cup of water.
Mix the chocolate-peanut butter mixture into flour and eggs until completely combines. Pour this into a greased 8×8 baking pan. If the batter is too thick to pour, add extra water until it’s runny but still thick.
Make the peanut butter part by whisking together the remaining maple syrup, peanut butter, and egg.
Pour the peanut butter mixture on top of the brownies and lightly swirl the two batters together a couple times, making sure not to over mix them.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely before cutting.

Make sure to share these after making them. That way they’ll taste all the better.

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Almond Flour Brownies

Written on August 18, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

This week I made brownies for the first time in months. MONTHS. Who am I? The thing is these aren’t even for me; I’m still trying to get in better shape for marathon training. The last thing I need on my plate(literally) is brownies.

I’m not saying I didn’t steal a taste, but as soon as these were cooled, cut, and photographed I sealed them up to bring to the Healthy Living Summit to share with friends and this girl for hosting me for a night. If you’re going, too, please find me and say hi. I’ll be the one trying to buy friends with brownies.

I made these by modifying my outrageous triple chocolate brownies recipe and—dare I say?—I like these better. Cooked they taste the same but the raw batter is much more delicious since it doesn’t have that funky gluten-free flavor to it. And it requires no special flour/starch blend, just plain old almond flour. Since I always keep these ingredients on hand, I can tell this will be my new go-to brownie recipe.

Almond Flour Brownies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 8 x 8 pan):

3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup sugar*
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules(optional)
1/2 cup butter
7oz semisweet or bittersweet baking chocolate, divided OR 3/4 cup chocolate chips

*You can replace the cane sugar in this recipe with 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons of liquid sweetener like maple syrup, honey, agave, or corn syrup.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the almond flour, salt, cocoa powder, and baking powder and set aside.
In a separate bowl, melt together 4 ounces of chocolate or a scant 1/2 cup chocolate chips with the butter.
While the chocolate is melting, beat together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and coffee granules if using.
Slowly pour the melted chocolate and butter into the egg/sugar mixture while whisking until fully incorporated. Don’t go too fast so that the raw eggs don’t cook upon contact.
Add the chocolate mixture in with the dry ingredients and mix completely.
Pour the batter in an 8 x 8 pan.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate and gently press it into the batter.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Let these cool completely before cutting in.

The first time I made these I took them out of the oven after only 25 minutes. 2 hours later I cut in to a gooey and basically raw center. Oops. I stuck them back into the oven and—of course—got distracted, baking them a little too long and burning the tops of the ones towards the back. The lesson is bake as I say, not as I do.

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“What Are Capers?”

Written on August 17, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

Until I started reading food blogs, I would have sworn capers were a type of fish that came in a can that no one except for old ladies and Nigel Thornberry ate(Does anyone know what I’m talking about?). But then I saw them, green little pearls that sort of look like fish eggs, except they were being used in vegan recipes. That only confused me more.

One day I was working in my restaurant and our job was to make the salsa verde used as a pork topper. The ingredients for it are simple: Parsley, jalapenos, shallots, and capers. I asked my shift manager what capers were, figuring she’d know having gone through culinary school, but her guess was as good as mine.

I went home that night and looked it up online and found out that capers are actually buds from the caper bush that are pickled to give a tart flavor to—the perfect touch to any dish(Side note: How did people know things before the internet? Seriously, I have no clue). I was excited to find them in Trader Joes and even more excited to make a dish with them. I’m leaving town on Friday and had a few too many open cans of beans in my refrigerator so I combined them to make this delicious bean salad.

Bean Salad With Capers

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings:

1 cup chickpeas
1 cup black beans
1 cup cannellini beans
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1 1/2 Tablespoons capers, drained
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

Method

In a large bowl, toss together the beans, olives, capers, and oil until evenly mixed.
Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve room temperature.

If you want to make this starting with unopened cans of beans, use a full can of chickpeas, black beans, and cannellini, 1/2 cup of olives, 2 Tablespoons of capers and the same amount of oil.

Fess up: Did you know what capers are?

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