Tag Archive: Food

Savory Italian-Style Socca Pancakes

Written on May 12, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

I’ve had an unopened bag of chickpea flour in my pantry for 4 months.

That’s 4 months too long.

After seeing socca on Anna and Serena’s blogs recently, it was about time that I try out socca pancakes. These were so flavorful, and so easy, too. It really was just like making any old pancakes. I might have burned myself trying to pick the fried batter off the bottom of the pan; it was worth it. When(not if) I make this again, I’d use a jarred marinara sauce, but since I didn’t have any I threw that together, too, and threw in the recipe. Top with a fried egg for something truly amazing.

Savory Italian-Style Socca Pancakes

Ingredients(Makes 1 serving):

For the pancakes,

1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
olive oil for cooking

For the sauce*,

1/2 cup diced tomatoes, mostly drained of water
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt

*You could also just use 1/2 cup of your favorite store-bought marinara sauce.

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To make the pancakes, whisk together the flour, water, salt, and herb seasoning until there are no clumps in the batter.

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add half of the batter to the pan to cook. Once the sides have darkened and the bottom has cooked, flip the pancake once to cook the top batter. Move to a plate and cook the other half of the batter.

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To make the sauce, mix together all of the ingredients.

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Assemble by spreading half of the sauce over the first pancake and layering it with the second. Scoop remaining sauce generously over the top and season to taste.

Socca to me.

I’ve said that about 60 times by now. I still think it’s funny.

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Fruity Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

Written on May 11, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

As good as peanut butter, fruit, and chocolate are, peanut butter and fruit can be damn good on their own, too. With fruit and yogurt, this is a great snack for a toddler. Or yourself if you don’t want to share; I didn’t. I used a strawberry yogurt and the dip tasted just like a PB&J but the recipe is totally customizable. It keeps in the refrigerator for a few days, too—not that they’ll be any extra.

Fruity Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 6-8 servings):

1/2 cup fruit-flavored yogurt*
1/2 cup natural runny peanut butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Fruit/veggies for dipping

*To customize the flavor, use 6 tablespoons of yogurt and 2 tablespoons of any fruit jam.

Method:

Mix together all of the ingredients completely making sure there aren’t any clumps.
Move to a serving dish.
Serve with chopped fruit and vegetables.

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5 Kitchen Rules I Break The Most

Written on May 10, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Sunday Confessional

I’m not a rebel. I turn my papers in on time. I never borrow something without intending to bring it back. I would return rented movies back on time if anybody still rented movies nowadays. Still, there are just some rules in the kitchen I don’t care for. Of course I’ll change my ways when I step foot into a real restaurant kitchen. But you can bet on none of these happening when I’m at home.

1. Wash your hands before starting cooking.

I’m sorry. If I’m cooking for other people or guests are over, sure I’ll wash my hands. But if it’s just me, myself, and I eating, I just don’t care. Hell, depending on the hour of the day I might not be wearing pants. Don’t drop by unannounced.

2. Always attend a heated oven.

Now, in my defense I’m always present and counted for when it comes to a stove top. But not an oven. I’ve even left the house at times with the oven going and no one home(don’t read that, mom). I have better things to do than stand by and watch a potato bake for 2 hours.

3. Wash and peel your fruit and vegetables before eating.

If I don’t wash my hands, do you really think I’ll wash my vegetables? Besides, the skin is wear all the nutrients are. This has left for some unsavory moments, like biting into lettuce from the farmer’s market(which I did wash, just not thorough enough I guess) and chewing on dirt. They’re just extra B Vitamins.

4. Bake with room temperature eggs.

Really? Does anyone remember to do this?

5. Always heat oil in a pan before adding anything else.

When you’re searing tuna or a steak this is a great idea to get a nice, browned outside and rare inside. But when you’re a veg-head sautéing chickpeas and vegetables, there’s not much you can do to ruin the dish. I usually don’t even thaw frozen veggies before putting them on the stone. Sue me.

So, now that some of you might never want to eat with me again, fess up: What kitchen rule do you break when no one’s looking?

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Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Filled Strawberries

Written on May 9, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Sometimes covering things in chocolate just isn’t enough.

That’s when you add peanut butter.

I made these on Mother’s Day, even though I had seen my mom Saturday and wasn’t going to see her Sunday. What can I say? I’m not going for son of the year award. Since there’s nothing with chocolate that can’t be better with peanut butter, I figured these would work, and they did! And they’re just as simple to make as the original, too.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Filled Strawberries

Ingredients:

Strawberries
No-stir peanut butter
Chocolate

Cut the strawberries in half.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave or double-boiler.

Put about a teaspoon on one side of each strawberry and sandwich it lightly with the other.

Gently roll the strawberry in chocolate, being sure to cover it all around about 3/4 of the way up.

Put the strawberries on a sheet of wax paper and refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened. Serve at room temperature.

These are a little messy, but oh-so worth it. The peanut butter adds just enough flavor to pair well with the chocolate. This will teach fruit to ever try and be healthy again.

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Honey Recipe Round-Up

Written on May 8, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Recipe Round-Up

I love honey. Like, I really love honey, a maybe-I’ll-stop-after-3-spoonful’s-straight-from-the-jar kind of love. It’s light sweetness is perfect for sweet and savory foods which make it a chef’s best friend. Here are a few of my favorite dishes with honey in them. Hopefully you’ll find something you like enough to make for your honey(aren’t I a hoot?).

January 11th 112

Vegged-Out Quinoa

February 22nd 031

Roasted Squash With Caramelized Onions and Craisins

December 27th 025

Hot Honey Asian Chicken Marinade

January 24th 049

Honey Butter Blondies

Speaking of honey…

It’s the 2nd ingredient and only sweetener in Perfect Foods Bars, and there’s still 2 more days to enter the giveaway, so go do so if you haven’t!

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Written on May 6, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

Whenever there’s a sale on hummus, I always pick up the roasted red pepper flavor, because that’s the one I’ve never made myself.

Now I don’t have to think that way any more. After getting the tahini and red pepper, I was determined to figure out how they make the prepackaged hummus taste so good. It turns out it’s not that difficult! This hummus comes out nice and creamy. It’d be even better with peeled chickpeas but I wasn’t looking to impress anyone. You can even make it for date night to because there’s no garlic; hummus lovers rejoice!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

2 cups chickpeas
1 roasted red pepper with the skin peeled
1/4 cup tahini
2 Tablespoons neutral oil
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

For the roasted pepper, heat an oven to 425 degrees. Cut the pit out of the pepper and lay it on a baking tray. Brush the pepper with olive oil and roast it for 15-20 minutes until the skin starts to blister away. Let the pepper cool before trying to peel off the skin.

Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the hummus is completely smooth.

Move into a bowl to serve or store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week.

Serve with pita or crudités.

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Perfect Foods Bar Giveaway(3 Winners)

Written on May 5, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Giveaway

I’m really excited to be able to bring you this giveaway today. If I were Oprah, I’d be shouting “Favoorite Thiiiiiiings” in that vibrato voice she does so well(actually, I am doing that but no one needs to hear it).

I Love Perfect Foods Bars. 95% of marketed protein/energy bars are terrible, whether it’s too much refined sugar or just a lack of real food. These are part of the other 5%. I love them because they are:

Sweetened with honey
High protein
High plant-based fat
Rich in vitamins and minerals
Organic ingredients you recognize
Gluten-free

And, most importantly, they’re tasty, too! No chalky taste or texture here. They taste just like, well, peanut butter and honey.

They’re especially great for athletes on-the-go who need to get in extra wholesome calories. I know if I didn’t snack at times when I’m running a lot I’d need to cook and sit down to 5 or 6 full meals a day and who has the time for that?

The Giveaway

Perfect Foods is giving away a box of their famous bars to 3 US readers in the flavor of your choice. To enter, simply leave a comment for each method of entry below that you do(If you’re already a Facebook fan or twitter follower, that counts, too!).

Tell me what flavor you’d choose if you won(my favorites are the original and carob chip)
Like Perfect Foods Bar on Facebook
Like The Wannabe Chef on Facebook
Follow @PerfectFoodsBar on Twitter
Follow @WannabeChefEvan on Twitter

I’ll choose the winners Tuesday night and alert them by email, so make sure to leave a valid email along with your name. Good luck!

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Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Written on May 4, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

I’ve had a lot of gluten-free baking disasters happen to me. Cookies are the worst; there’s no protein structure in most gluten-free flours to keep them from spreading. When I read this recipe I was intrigued but skeptical. There’s no way a cookie could work with just almond flour I thought. Despite having doubts the entire time, I gave this recipe a shot and I’m so glad I did. These are perfect chocolate chip cookies, with a slight buttery flavor and tons of melted chocolate chips. The texture is soft and pillowy with a little chew. I couldn’t believe these came out as good as they did! I’m definitely saving this recipe to cook again and again.

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients(Makes about 12 cookies):

1 1/2 cups(6 ounces) almond flour
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375.

To make the almond flour, ground 6 ounces of almonds in a food processor until it’s all been ground into a thin flour. degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Mix in the egg. Next, add the almond flour, vanilla, salt, and baking soda and mix until it’s all incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Scoop the batter into even portions onto the parchment paper and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool slightly before removing the cookies from the tray.

I had to try one straight out of the oven. And it did not disappoint. These would be great with a glass of chocolate almond milk for dipping. I would definitely double the recipe next time because 9 cookies just won’t be enough.

Added Note: The second time I made these(pictured) they spread out less so that the ones that went into the oven in a ball shape came out rounded like a doughball whereas the ones that I fashioned into a disk came out in the more traditional cookie shape. The only difference between the two was in appearance; cooking time, taste, and texture all remained relatively the same.

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Lemon-Tahini Fish Sauce

Written on May 3, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

I have a new obsession. It’s tahini. I’ve heard a few other bloggers talk about how good this seed butter is but never picked it up at the store since the only brand I could find was majorly expensive. Luckily, they started carrying a new brand that’s much cheaper and I decided to give it a go.

I’m not looking back.

The flavor is very savory, almost bitter, just like you’d imagine sesame seeds to be in concentration. On its own it’s a bit much but paired with other flavors it’s excellent.

Lemon-Tahini Fish Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons tahini
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons neutral oil
1/2 Tablespoon water
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dill weed

Mix all of the ingredients together until smooth and silky. If the sauce is too thick, add an extra 1/2 a tablespoon of water to thin it out.

This sauce would be good with:

Any white fish
Tofu
Tempeh
Veggie burgers
Chickpeas
Diced potatoes

And much more. This recipe was a huge success; I can’t wait to try more with tahini.

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Mini Raw Cheesecake With Chocolate Shortbread Crust

Written on May 2, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Most of the time I like no fuss desserts: A ~~bar~~ piece of chocolate, 5 a spoonful of peanut butter, leftover frosting eaten with a spoon—you know, something simple. But once and a while I like making something unique with complimenting flavors and textures, the sort of thing you’d buy at a bakery. These were surprisingly simple for how impressive they came out. The cookie crust could be eaten on its own and really brings the dessert to a new level. It’s more rich than it is sweet. And since it’s raw and mini, you can eat about 5 and feel good about it, or at least think that.

Mini Raw Cheesecake With Chocolate Shortbread Crust

Ingredients(Makes 7 mini cheesecakes)

For the crust:

3 Tablespoons almond butter
3 Tablespoons coconut butter, semi-softened
1 Tablespoon agave nectar
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder

For the filling:

1 1/4 cups cashews, soaked in water for 3-4 hours
1/4 cup coconut oil
4 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional: Fruit, nuts, or chocolate shavings for topping

Line a cupcake tray with paper liners. Make the crust by mixing together all of the crust ingredients and separating it into 7 equal portions. Flatten each into a disk and place it into the bottom of the paper liners. Refrigerate the chocolate bases while making the filling.