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Dark Chocolate Cherry Zucchini Bread

Written on July 27, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

I love fresh cherries. They’ve been on sale the past few weeks and I’ve been eating them by the pound. As good as cherries are on their own, with chocolate they’re out of this world.

I’d never made zucchini bread before this loaf. Something about a vegetable in a bread doesn’t scream “delicious”. But then again, when you add cherries, chocolate chips, and ganache, what wouldn’t be delicious. I threw a banana into the mix, too, because I thought the fruity flavor would help to mask any taste the zucchini might bring.

Normally sweet breads are loaded with oil. To reduce the oil and pump up the nutrition I swapped in Greek yogurt to keep it most and also full of protein.

If you have a picky eater in the family who might be turned off by specks of green in their bread, just peel the zucchini with a vegetable peeler before shredding it. 2 medium sized zucchinis should yield about 1 cup.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Zucchini Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 loaf):

1 cup shredded zucchini
1 6oz container plain greek yogurt
3 eggs
2 egg whites
1 banana, mashed
2 Tablespoons oil
1 1/3 cups gluten-free all purpose flour(or regular flour)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup pitted and halved cherries

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini, yogurt, eggs, egg whites, banana, and oil.
Add in the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda and mix again.
Lastly, gently fold in the chocolate chips and cherry halves.
Grease a 9-inch loaf pan and pour in the batter.
Bake until the center of the bread has set and the edges begin to brown—about an hour and 20 minutes.
Wait for the bread to cool before cutting. Garnish with melted chocolate or powdered sugar.

This came out a lot more dense than I anticipated, almost like pound cake(not that that’s a bad thing at all). Like any low-fat bread, I’d recommend eating this within 2-3 days before it turns stale.

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Chocolate Covered S’mores

Written on July 25, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

I doubt there’s any way you could reinvent s’mores and have it not be delicious. Food bloggers test this theory every Summer and it always holds true. Here’s one more delicious s’mores recipe to throw into the mix.

By the beaches in Maine there are candy shops that sell just about everything covered in chocolate. Graham crackers covered in chocolate? Sure. Marshmallows covered in chocolate? Mhmm. But no s’mores covered in chocolate. Why not? Beats me. Thankfully, you don’t need to travel farther than your kitchen for something as delicious as this.

Instead of melted marshmallows which would get stale in a refrigerator, this recipe uses marshmallow crème which is soft at room temperature just like a melted marshmallow. My favorite part about this is that Fluff is a naturally vegetarian marshmallow option, so you don’t have to go out and buy a $5 bag of marshmallows to get your s’mores fix.

Chocolate Covered S’mores

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 6 squares):

12 graham cracker squares
1/4 cup marshmallow Fluff
6oz chocolate(about 3/4 cup chocolate chips)

Method:

On half of the graham crackers, spread roughly 2 teaspoons of Fluff.
Sandwich each covered graham cracker with an uncovered one and put these aside.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler until it is smooth and liquid.
One by one, lower the s’mores into the melted chocolate. Flip once and use a utensil to make sure the sides are covered as well as the top and bottom.
Take the s’mores out of the melted chocolate and put it on a non-stick surface to dry. You can quicken the process by moving them to the refrigerator once you’re done.
Repeat with all the s’mores.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

A fun thing to do might be to decorate the outside while the chocolate is melting with graham cracker crumbs and mini-marshmallows. These are the things I think of after I’ve eaten the whole batch. Shame.

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Gluten-Free Fig Bars

Written on July 23, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

It’s amazing how many gluten-free options there are on supermarket shelves these days. Last I checked there are no less than 3 gluten-free “Oreo” knock-offs. Gluten-free pretzels are my newest addiction; they come in plain, chocolate covered, and yogurt covered(still waiting on some savory flavors). But there’s one hugely noticeable absence from the options: Gluten-free Fig Newtons.

Fig Newtons used to be as good as cookie gold to me, only topped by those maple cookies shaped like a maple leaf. I went into the kitchen recently determined to come out with gluten-free Fig Newtons… or at least something similar.

It’s incredibly hard to get gluten-free dough to be elastic without tons of different flours and gums. Instead, I focused on getting the same flavors in a different form with less special ingredients. These bars have a shortbread crust and a top crumble with strong touches of cinnamon and butter; it’s like a portable fig crisp, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.

Of course you can use any kind of jam to fill these with. Try apple butter for a Fall flavor or mango butter for something more tropical.

Gluten-Free Fig Bars

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup fig jam or fig puree

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, egg, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla.
Add in the coconut flour and brown rice flour and work the dough until the flours have been mixed in.
Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan.
Press about half of the dough into a 1/2-inch thick layer in the pan. Use more than half of the dough if you have to; just make sure it’s thick enough to hold together.
Spread the fig butter into a flat layer on top of the dough.
Crumble the extra dough on top of the layer of fig and press it in lightly.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges begin to brown and the top is golden.
Wait for the bars to cool before cutting in. Store leftovers in a refrigerator.

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Grilled Cantaloupe with Yogurt and Mint

Written on July 18, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

To be honest, grilling in the Summer is slightly less fun when you’re a vegetarian. I don’t do it nearly as much anymore. That doesn’t mean vegetarian grilling isn’t delicious; sometimes I just need to be reminded of that.

Just like you can grill any kind of meat, you can grill all different sorts of fruit and vegetables. The heat from the fire makes the fruit taste even sweeter and pairs perfectly with something cool and creamy. Most recipes use a soft cheese or ice cream; this one uses Greek yogurt for a similar taste and texture only a little bit healthier.

Peaches are a great substitute for when cantaloupe isn’t available; you won’t have to change anything else in the recipe. Make sure to use full fat or 2% yogurt; non-fat yogurt won’t have the same depth of flavor or creaminess to really make this satisfying.

Grilled Cantaloupe with Yogurt and Mint

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 6 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

1/2 cantaloupe, cut into quarters
Olive oil
1 16oz container full fat or 2% Greek yogurt
Small handful of mint leaves
Honey(optional)

Method:

Heat up your grill to roughly 400 degrees.
Brush both sides of each cantaloupe wedge with enough olive oil to cover.
Once the grill is hot, lay the cantaloupe down and let it cook undisturbed for roughly 3 minutes until grill marks have formed.
Flip the wedges once and repeat with the other side.
When the cantaloupe is done cooking, plate it with the skin touching the plate. Scoop about half a cup of yogurt over each wedge. Garnish with mint leaves and honey if desired.
Serve immediately.

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Double Chocolate Granola

Written on July 16, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

My favorite flavor of yogurt is pomegranate, followed closely by raspberry. I never expected to love pomegranate yogurt, especially since I don’t love pomegranates on their own, but it’s really won my heart. And the best way to eat it is with something chocolate on top. The creamy, tart and sweet yogurt with deep, dark chocolate is just too good for words.

Of course after I loaded up my shopping cart with pomegranate yogurt over the weekend I came home and immediately decided to make chocolate granola. The last time I had chocolate granola it was store-bought and—though good—it was really lacking something: More chocolate. This granola has cocoa powder baked onto the oats, and then is hit with melted chocolate and chocolate chips after it’s done. The result is pure clustery chocolate goodness.

Give this granola a nutty twist by mixing in toasted almonds or salted peanuts along with the chocolate chips.

Double Chocolate Granola

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 2 3/4 cups):

2 1/4 cups rolled oats
2 Tablespoons oil
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons liquid sweetener
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 cup chocolate chips, divided

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, oil, cocoa powder, cane sugar, salt, sweetener, and water.
Lay the uncooked granola on a non-stick baking tray in a 1/2-inch thick layer.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, breaking up the oats occasionally until they’re stiff and dry.
Transfer the hot granola into a bowl with 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. Mix the granola as the chocolate chips melt, covering them with the melted chocolate.
Once the granola has cooled completely, toss the granola to break apart any large clusters and add in the other 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
Serve in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

I’m going to need more yogurt.

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The Ultimate Summer Dessert

Written on July 15, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

This is one of my favorite recipes. I’ve blogged about it several times before and now I’m blogging about it again. It’s worth it though; I promise.

A friend mentioned how much he likes s’mores made with Reese’s peanut butter cups. In the back of my mind popped up my recipe for peanut butter s’mores bars and I promised to make them for July 4th.

After I made them I took fresh-looking photos and updated the recipe page. A few of the commenters who have made this said that their crusts didn’t stick together the way mine has. I think some of the confusion might come from how many graham crackers to use. I use Kinnikinnick 16 graham crackers(3 are pictured above), which would be the same as 4 sheets of graham crackers. It’s also relevant to mention the peanut butter I use for this recipe is always the kind without added oil so it generally mixes easier.

These have all the goodness of s’mores with added peanut butter and put into a portable form. They really are the ultimate Summer dessert. If gluten-free graham crackers didn’t cost an arm and vegetarian marshmallows a leg, I’d probably make these every month. For now they can just be a once in a long-while treat.

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Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Bean Salad

Written on July 13, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

I really love baked beans. Who doesn’t? What I don’t love is spending hours cooking them in a hot kitchen when it’s already 80 degrees outside. Why can’t people appreciate baked beans more in the winter when we’re all freezing? It’s a mystery.

Last week on the 4th I needed a vegetarian dish that could sit in a cooler all day. Immediately my mind jumped to baked beans, but as soon as I ruled out cooking those for 4 hours I remembered this old favorite.

I first posted this recipe over a year ago. The photos weren’t that good, the recipe wasn’t very clearly written, and my readership was drastically lower than what it is today, so I figured it’d be best to just give it a whole new post. And it definitely deserves one.

You can use three cans of any type of beans; I think the ones listed have the most neutral flavor so they take on the sauce well. To make this completely vegan, you can substitute maple syrup or agave for the honey.

Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Bean Salad

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4-6 servings):

1 15oz can of chickpeas
1 15oz can of pinto bean
1 15oz can of cannellini beans
1 onion, julienned
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for finishing(optional)

Method:

In a large bowl, combine all of the different beans.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add in the julienned onions and sauté for about 10-15 minutes until the onion has turned translucent and slightly crusty.
Remove from the heat and add it in with the beans.
Reduce the balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan to about half of its original volume by bringing it to a rolling boil for 5 or so minutes. If it over-reduces and starts to harden into a taffy, remove the pan from the heat and stir in some hot water to thin.
Add the reduced vinegar, honey, salt and extra virgin olive oil if using to the beans and onions.
Mix well until the sauce coats all of the beans. Serve hot or cold.

20 minutes for a tasty bowl of beans? I’ll take that.

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Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Written on July 11, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

One of the funniest misconceptions of a gluten-free diet is that it’s a low carb diet.

Hardly.

Yes, eliminating gluten from your diets limits the number of carbs you can eat. And when you’re eating on-the-go you’re limited to options like salads and nuts that are low carb. But at heart most gluten-free eaters are still carb lovers like everyone else, and when given the chance we’ll gladly make a meal out of gluten-free muffins, pancakes, and waffles. And don’t forget the syrup.

Thinking back, I can’t really remember the last time I ate a muffin(because why bake muffins when you can make cupcakes). Banana nut would probably be my favorite, but since we were out of nuts when I made this chocolate chip would have to do. Who could say no to banana chocolate chip anyway?

Don’t have brown rice flour? You can substitute oat flour instead. If you don’t have that you can always make your own by grinding 2 cups of gluten-free rolled oats in a food processor.

Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients(Makes a dozen muffins):

1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup corn starch
3/4 cup sugar
2 ripe bananas, mashed
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, sift together the brown rice flour, corn starch, and sugar.
Add in the mashed bananas, oil, water, and eggs and stir the batter together.
Add in the cinnamon, salt, and baking soda and mix completely.
Pour the batter into twelve lined muffin tins.
Drop an even amount of chocolate chips onto the top of each muffin.
Bake for about 30 minutes until the tops start to brown and the muffins are cooked in the center.
Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool slightly before touching.

Soft, spicy and studded with chocolate chips. Tomorrow morning’s going to be tasty.

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Baked Sesame Tofu

Written on July 9, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

It’s really hard to get good gluten-free vegetarian food at most Asian restaurants. Whenever I do find it, it’s usually in the form of fried tofu. Don’t get me wrong—I do love getting golden and greasy tofu now and again, especially when someone else is making it. But it’s a heavy thing to eat again and again.

This tofu has a texture closure to fried tofu than any baked tofu I’ve ever had thanks to the corn starch while still not being overly salty or heavy. You can cook a big pot of brown rice and stir fry some vegetables and have your own take-out meal at home without the take-out.

To make this gluten-free, make sure to use a gluten-free tamari in place of the soy sauce. You can also substitute tapioca starch in place of the corn starch and agave for the honey.

Baked Sesame Tofu

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

1 block extra firm tofu
3 Tablespoons sesame oil
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the tofu into even segments
Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
One at a time, dip the pieces of tofu in the sauce and lay them out on a non-stick baking surface. Pour any remaining sauce on top of the tofu.
Bake for 40 minutes until the outside is golden and the edges brown. Turn once halfway through baking.
Serve hot with rice and vegetables and extra soy sauce.

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Maple Almond Granola

Written on July 6, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

Granola is quickly becoming one of my favorite foods. I’ve been eating it morning, noon, and night. It’s just a matter of time before I buy some oversized glasses and Toms and join a coop.

It’s so much more appealing to make your own because it gives you an endless possibility of flavors. You can have chocolate, banana, peanut granola one morning and maple almond granola the next. And since oats are cheap(well, unless you’re stuck buying name-brand certified gluten-free oats—but let’s not go there), it’s not a meal that’s going to bleed your pockets dry.

The hint of cinnamon in this recipe adds a familiar warmth that doesn’t overpower the other flavors. Make sure to use a tasteless oil like canola or safflower unless you’re looking to add the flavors of coconut or extra virgin olive oil into the mix.

Maple Almond Granola

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 cups):

2 1/2 cup oats*
6 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons neutral flavored oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons shaved almonds

*Make sure these are certified gluten-free if you’re dealing with a gluten allergy.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, maple syrup, oil, salt, and cinnamon.
Lay the oats out in a 1/2-inch thick layer on a baking tray. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the oats are crispy and toasted, occasionally breaking the granola with a fork or other utensil while it bakes.
Remove the granola from the oven and let it cool completely.
In a separate bowl, combine the granola, raisins, and almonds and toss together until completely mixed.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

You can toast the almonds for an extra level of nuttiness before adding them to the granola. I’d also suggest adding almond extract to the raw oats before baking for a kick of flavor but it’s not necessary.

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