snack

Pear Clafoutis!

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pear clafoutis 3-30-19

This week, I had too many ripe pears and decided to make a clafoutis, which I don’t think I have made in over ten years. Clafoutis are flan-like cakes, originating from France, and traditionally made with cherries. You can substitute the pears for pitted cherries (2 cups) and use almond extract, instead of vanilla extract. The result will be delicious and you’ll have trouble resisting seconds. It’s a nice, light dessert or snack 🙂

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
½ cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for baking dish
1 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 cup whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ripe pears, diced
powdered sugar (optional)

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter glass pie dish or 9” cake pan.
2. Beat sugar and eggs until light in color
3. Gradually add butter and mix until well-incorporated.
4. Add flour and salt; whisk until combined.
5. Slowly add milk, while mixing.
6. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Batter should appear smooth and shiny
7. Add pears to prepared baking dish and pour batter over the fruit.
8. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until slightly browned and set.
9. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

 

Banana Bread Mini-Muffins!

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banana bread mini muffins 2-10-19

There was a lot of baking done this weekend and these mini muffins were a hit with baby and hubby. That’s a win in my book, especially because they are only sweetened with bananas 🙂 I also love that these are naturally gluten-free and require ingredients that we always have on hand. So simple and so good! Perfect for breakfast or a snack on the go.

Yield: about 24 mini-muffins

Ingredients:

1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 medium size bananas, mashed
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease or line muffin tin pan.
2. In electric mixer, beat together egg and butter until smooth.
3. Add bananas and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
4. In a separate bowl, combine oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined.
6. Spoon into prepared mini muffin tin pan, about ¾ of the way up.
7. Bake about 15-20 minutes

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bars!

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peanut butter banana oat bars

Another mom shared this yummy recipe with me and my one year old cannot get enough of these oat bars. I do not add honey, so they are purely sweetened with banana for her. They are great to take on the go and also freeze well. Since there are no preservatives, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt
½ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup honey (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup mashed banana (2-3 bananas)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and grease with oil or butter.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the peanut butter, honey (if using), vanilla, and egg until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the bananas.
4. Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before removing from pan to cut into squares. Store in refrigerator or freeze for later.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp!

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strawberry-rhubarb crisp

Rhubarb is now in season and I picked up a few stalks at the coop the other day. It kind of looks like celery but the stalks tend to be thicker and bright pink in color. Since it’s pretty tart, it’s usually baked as a sweet and most popularly paired with strawberries. This crisp is really the perfect balance of sweet and tart, with a 1:1 ratio of filling to topping. It makes for a quick and easy dessert! No need to mess with pie dough here. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Fruit filling:
8 ounces strawberries, hulled and halved (quartered if large)
8 ounces rhubarb, trimmed, roughly cut into ½ inch dice
½ cup raw (turbinado) sugar
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Topping:
1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick), melted
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine strawberries, rhubarb, raw sugar, arrowroot powder or cornstarch, and sea salt. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish.
3. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, butter, brown sugar, and salt. Stir until combined and slightly clumpy. Spread evenly over fruit.
4. Bake until juices are bubbling in the center and topping is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp recipe

Lemon-Ricotta Muffins!

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lemon-ricotta muffins

With leftover fresh ricotta from my pasta recipe earlier this week, I decided to try baking these lemon-ricotta muffins. The turbinado sugar on top forms a nice crunch for contrast. The lemon zest and lemon juice make them perfectly lemony, while the ricotta keeps these muffins nice and moist. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
½ cup water
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons turbinado/raw sugar

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl.
3. In another medium bowl, combine the ricotta, water, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg.
4. Make a well in the flour mixture and add ricotta mixture, stirring just until moist.
5. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups and sprinkle each with turbinado sugar.
6. Bake for 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

Adapted from Cooking Light‘s Tuscan Lemon Muffins recipe

Savory Blue Corn Muffins!

Jennifer 1 Comment

blue corn muffins

One of the major benefits of living in New York City is the food and a restaurant I sorely miss is Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, which closed years ago due to a ridiculous rent hike. Somehow it came up in conversation with my parents not too long ago that we used to love going to Mesa Grill for brunch. Upon ordering, they would bring out the best bread basket, filled with a variety of delicious baked goods. There would always be a cinnamon sugar coffee cake, tiny chive biscuits, and blue corn muffins, served with a pepper jam. The blue corn muffins always stood out because of their unique appearance and taste; they were half yellow corn and half blue corn. This recipe is completely blue corn**, but in order to get that striking effect, you could simply do ¾ cup yellow corn and ¾ cup blue corn and halve the other ingredients to mix in two separate bowls. Then when baking, you simply fill the muffin cups with half of each. Either way, they’re delicious and perfect for your next brunch gathering. Enjoy!

Yield: 12 regular muffins

Ingredients:
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup milk
4 large eggs
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2 jalapeno peppers, finely diced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves (optional)
1 1/2 cups blue cornmeal (can substitute yellow)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Procedure:

1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Grease or line muffin pan.

2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Allow to cool.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, bell pepper, jalapeno, corn and cilantro (if using). Whisk in the cooled butter mixture.

4. In a separate bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Mix into the liquid mixture.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin slots and bake for 20 minutes or until set, turning the pan once for even baking. If making mini muffins, bake for 10 minutes or until set.

**Bob’s Red Mill has blue corn meal. This can usually be found at Whole Foods; otherwise a reasonable place to order online from is iHerb.com, which is where I bought mine.

Adapted from Bobby Flay’s Blue Corn Muffins recipe

 

Chinese Almond Cookies!

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almond-cookies

Happy Chinese New Year! I wanted to make something special to share for the New Year and these are one of the traditional desserts. One of my friends in high school used to bake almond cookies for all different occasions. My Mom used to make a similar cookie during Christmas but she would top it with half a maraschino cherry. Brushing egg whites on the top before baking gives them a nice golden finish. Enjoy!

Yield: about 42 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup raw almonds
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon water

Procedure:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.
2. Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a fork. Place almond in center of cookie.
3. In a small bowl, beat egg white and water. Brush over cookies.
4. Bake at 325° for 14-16 minutes or until edges and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Double Chocolate Crinkles!

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double-chocolate-crackles

I typically make these cookies around the holidays for friends and family, but I wanted to bake something special to bring into the office this week. These are pretty simple to make and don’t require any out of the ordinary ingredients, but the dough does need to chill before it is shaped to bake. This has been one of my favorite recipes and is perfect for anyone that loves chocolate 🙂
Ingredients:
2 cups (12oz bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
½ cup powdered sugar

Procedure:
1. Microwave 1 cup of the chocolate chips in a bowl, uncovered for 1 minute and stir. Microwave at additional 10-15 second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. Stir. Beat sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in large bowl. Beat in melted chocolate. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Then mix in the remaining chocolate chips. Cover; refrigerate just until firm.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll in the powdered sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes or until sides are set but centers are still slightly soft. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes and move to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe is adapted from Nestle’s Firecracker Fudge Cookies.

Rice Pudding!

Jennifer 2 Comments

rice-pudding-10-11-16

Today, I was trying to think of what to do with my abundance of leftover rice, besides make fried rice. Somehow, I thought of rice pudding, which I’ve never made before. The recipe is really simple and produces a rich, creamy rice pudding! This was a touch sweet for me so next time I may try to cut back the sugar to ¼ of a cup instead of 1/3 of a cup. Nonetheless, it’s delicious!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups cooked white rice
2 cups milk, divided
1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
cinnamon

Procedure:
1. In a saucepan, combine rice, 1 ½ cups milk, sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, about 15-20 minnutes. Stir in remaining ½ cup milk and beaten egg; cook for 2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
3. Serve at preferred temperature (warm, room temperature, cold..). Sprinkle with cinnamon
4. Enjoy!

Granola!

Jennifer 5 Comments

granola

One of my friends made this for me a couple of years ago and shared the recipe. It’s been a while since I’ve made it because I would consume the batches way too quickly. This time around I’m trying to exercise some self-control which is not an easy feat. It’s such a simple recipe and can be adjusted to personal tastes as well as what mix-ins you have around the house. Sunflower seeds, diced dried apricots, and pistachios would work really well in this too. This morning, I made a parfait with blackberries and raspberries. For a snack or breakfast, I like to also have it in warm almond milk. It’s really soothing and satisfying 🙂

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups regular oats (not instant)
1/2 cup roasted coconut chips
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup dried blueberries or cranberries
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup honey or agave nectar (vegan)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper or a silpat.
3. Combine oats, coconut chips, pumpkin seeds, blueberries or cranberries, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
4. Combine honey or agave, coconut oil, and vanilla extract in a measuring cup.
5. Add oil mixture to oat mixture and combine well.
6. Spread on baking sheet in an uniform layer to allow for even baking.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway. Cool completely in pan, allowing the granola to crisp up and form clusters.
8. Store in airtight container.

Socca Flatbread!

Jennifer 2 Comments

socca flatbread

Socca originates from Provence, France and the neighboring region of Liguria, Italy. It is similar to a large pancake, but savory and naturally gluten-free. These can be topped with just about anything and are a great brunch idea. On this particular day, I was making them for breakfast, so I added an egg, ramps, arugula, and roasted tomatoes with a little balsamic drizzle. Be sure to add enough oil to the pan, so that the socca will get crispy. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups chickpea flour
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking
Salt

1. Whisk together chickpea flour, olive oil, and 2 cups of water. Season with 2 big pinches of salt.
2. Heat an 8-inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and when hot, add in about ¼ cup of the batter. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the bottom is crispy and the top is almost set. Carefully flip the socca and cook for another minute.
3. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining batter.
4. Add desired toppings and serve.

Roasted Garlic-Harissa Yogurt Dip!

Jennifer 4 Comments

roasted garlic harissa yogurt dip

Harissa is a blend of hot chile peppers, garlic, olive oil and spices and commonly used as a flavor base for curries and stews, as well as a condiment in the Middle East. Use it to add some spice in place of your regular hot sauce. The heat of the harissa, creaminess of the yogurt, sweetness of the roasted garlic, and acidity of the lime juice perfectly balance each other. This is versatile and works well as a dip or sauce with crudite, roasted veggies, and chicken.

Ingredients:
1 bulb roasted garlic, peeled and mashed
1 tablespoon harissa
2 cups plain full fat greek yogurt
juice from ½ lime
salt
mint leaves, garnish

Procedure:
1. In a food processor, add roasted garlic, harissa, and greek yogurt. Pulse until smooth.
2. Stir in lime juice and season with salt to taste.
3. Garnish with mint leaves
4. Enjoy!

Gochujang-Red Lentil Hummus!

Jennifer 2 Comments

red lentil hummus

This week, I’ll be traveling to LA to visit some friends, so snacks for the plane ride are on my mind this weekend. Often, the airports don’t have great healthy food options or they’re pricey, so I like to pack my own if I can. Along with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans and pistachios, I will be munching on crudite with this hummus. It was my first time making hummus with red lentils, which are great because they cook up so quickly and don’t require soaking. Although I used gochujang, a staple Korean fermented red chili paste, harissa or sriracha would also work very well. This would be a perfect, vegan option to have at the Super Bowl table too!
½ cup red lentils, rinsed and picked through for stones
1 teaspoon gochujang
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
juice of ½ a lemon
salt, to taste
chives, garnish

1.Place the lentils and and 1 cup of water into a small saucepan. Place over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until all the water is absorbed, about 10-12 minutes. The lentils should be mushy and thick.
2. Pulse the garlic in the bowl of the food processor and then add all the other ingredients. Blend until completely smooth.
3. Enjoy!

Jicama Nori Rolls!

Jennifer 1 Comment

nori roll

Over the summer, my friend Lucy and I fell in love with this recipe that we learned through Matthew Kenney’s raw food program. Jicama is a starchy, root vegetable that is really crunchy, like water chestnuts and a good source of vitamin C. It’s refreshing and much lighter than rice in a normal handroll. This can be enjoyed as a sushi roll as well.

For Jicama Rice:
4 cups jicama, peeled, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey (non-vegan) or agave (vegan)

nori sheets
leafy greens
julienne carrot
julienne beet
sunflower sprouts

1. Put jicama in food processor and pulse until there are small pieces about
the size of rice. Using a nut milk bag or mesh strainer, strain out excess
water. Toss with remaining ingredients in a bowl.
Optional: Place sushi rice on non-stick sheets and dehydrate until slightly
sticky, about 2-3 hours.

2. Cut nori sheet in half. Place flat on dry cutting board with long side facing you, shiny side down.
3. Layer leafy greens in bottom left corner. This helps keep the moisture from the jicama from making the nori sheet soggy.
4. Then spoon about a tablespoon of the jicama rice on top of the greens, flattening it out.
5. Layer the julienned vegetables and sunflower sprouts on top..
6. From the bottom left corner, carefully fold at a 45 degree angle up to meet the top of the nori sheet, forming a point at the bottom of the roll. From here, just roll towards the right side and seal with water.
7. Enjoy immediately.

Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cookies with Vanilla Bean Glaze!

Jennifer 1 Comment

chocolate chip gingerbread cookies

Gingerbread cookies scream Christmas to me, but I’m not a fan of rolling out cookie dough and cutting out gingerbread men, although I love to eat them 🙂 This is a simple, drop cookie recipe that is enhanced with orange zest and topped with a vanilla bean glaze. Molasses gives gingerbread its distinct flavor and unlike white sugar, it provides some nutritional value in the form of essential minerals and trace amounts of vitamins. Using a mini ice cream scoop, these come out uniform and puff up into perfect rounds. Spread the holiday cheer!

Ingredients

Cookies:
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 cara cara or navel orange
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 large egg whites
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out

(Special equipment: a piping bag or squeeze bottle)

Procedure:

1. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice and ginger in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Beat the butter, brown sugar and molasses together in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, eggs and orange zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until incorporated. Add the spiced flour mixture and beat until the dough just comes together. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls and refrigerate on baking sheets, lined with parchment paper, until firm, about 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, adjust the oven racks to the top and lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.

4. Bake until the tops of the cookies are no longer glossy and the edges are firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

5. While the cookies cool, mix the confectioners’ sugar, egg whites and vanilla seeds in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth and shiny.

6. Transfer the glaze to a piping bag or squeeze bottle and pipe stripes onto the cooled cookies. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

*Adapted from Geoffrey Zakarian’s Hermit Cookies

Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti!

Jennifer 3 Comments

cranberry-pistachio biscotti

Every year around the holidays, I break out this recipe, which is a favorite of family and friends. I first learned this recipe when I assisted with culinary classes in The New School Culinary Arts program, which were held at The Inn on 23rd St. Grand Marnier enhances the rich dough with an orange essence, which complements the almond extract. The pistachios and cranberries are not just festive, but are full of antioxidants, evident from their bright colors. Hope you’ll enjoy these and share with loved ones over the holidays!

4 ounces (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
2 ounces Grand Marnier
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups shelled pistachios
1 cup dried cranberries

Procedure:
1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add Grand Marnier, salt, extracts, and eggs, one at a time. Beat until smooth.
3. Add the flour mixture, a third at a time, folding it into the wet ingredients.
4. Fold in the pistachios and cranberries until combined. Cover bowl and chill in refrigerator for about 1 ½ hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Form the dough into 2 slightly flattened logs, about 2-3 inches wide. Use the parchment paper to help form the logs, since the dough will be pretty sticky.
6. Bake in the oven for about 30- 35 minutes, until they are golden. Remove from the oven and slide the parchment onto a wire rack to cool.
7. Once the logs are cool, slice them crosswise about ¾ inches thick. Bake again at 350 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes, flipping over once.
8. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Sprouted Buckwheat Granola!

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raw granola

Buckwheat is not related to wheat at all, which makes it gluten-free. It is actually a fruit seed and is believed to be easier to digest than grains. The purpose in soaking and sprouting the buckwheat is to neutralize enzyme inhibitors that prevent absorption of nutrients. If you don’t want to sprout and dehydrate buckwheat, you can always buy it already sprouted or even substitute in sprouted quinoa or millet. I really love this recipe because it uses date paste, a whole food, rather than a highly processed sweetener like white sugar or agave nectar. You can feel good about sharing this granola with loved ones.

Sprouted Buckwheat Granola

1 ½ cups sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat*
1 pear, diced and roughly chopped
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup raisins or other dried fruit, soaked for 30 minutes and roughly chopped
¾ cup date paste**
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch ground clove
pinch salt

1. Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl, until well combined.
2. Spread onto a dehydrator sheet in ½ inch thick layer, allowing some space between granola pieces.
3. Dehydrate at 115 degrees F for 18-24 hours or until dry.
4. Enjoy!
*Sprouting Buckwheat:
1. Rinse buckwheat several times until water becomes clear
2. Soak in slightly warm water for 20 minutes, to begin sprouting process
3. Transfer to mesh strainer and rinse well again
4. Place strainer over a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel
5. Leave on counter to sprout (1-2 days), rinsing every 8-12 hours.
6. When the buckwheat is sprouted, it should have a tail no longer than the buckwheat groat itself.
7. Rince and spread out the sprouted buckwheat on a mesh dehydrator screen, being careful not to overcrowd the groats.
8. Dehydrate at 115 degrees F until completely dry.

**Date Paste: Process 5-8 soft dates with ¼ – ½ cups of water until a paste is formed.

Cumin-Spiced Beet Chips!

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beet chips

This was my first endeavor in making beet chips and I ate the whole batch, so if you plan on sharing, maybe make a double batch! The sweetness of the beets is enhanced by the coconut oil and balanced out with the savoriness of the cumin.Beets are high in folate, manganese, and also the chemical betaine, which is important for cell reproduction and liver function. These would be a great, healthy snack, especially if you’re traveling. I would choose a cone of these chips over fries at a restaurant any day. These are even more nutritious because the skin is left intact, preserving more of the nutrients. Forget those veggie straws and make your own snacks 🙂

INGREDIENTS
3 medium beets
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Wash and dry beets (no need to peel). Using a mandoline, thinly slice the beets, about 1/16”.
3. In a large bowl, toss beet slices, oil, cumin and sea salt.
4. Spread beet slices onto baking sheets in a single layer.
5. Bake beet chips for 35-45 minutes until crunchy, flipping slices once halfway through baking time.
6. Allow chips to cool thoroughly and blot any excess oil with paper towels. Store in an airtight container.

Soy Sauce Eggs!

Jennifer 4 Comments

soy sauce eggs

My mom makes a Chinese dish of braised pork and eggs, and while I love those eggs, I wanted to make a vegetarian version. When I saw this recipe on the Food52 website from Christina Tosi of Momofuku, I needed to try it! Besides being a great source of protein, eggs are high in B vitamins and antioxidants. Also, something that I learned in culinary school is that eggs have a net protein utilization (NPU) of 1, which means that 100% of the nitrogen supplied by the egg is converted into protein.

These are essentially medium-boiled eggs (set white, runny yolk) and marinated in a soy sauce mixture for up to 6 hours, so a very simple recipe. Once done, you can enjoy them in so many ways. They’re delicious on their own, but would be delicious in a bowl of ramen, on toast, or on a salad. I don’t see them lasting long in my fridge! 🙂

Makes 6 eggs

6 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
¾ cup soy sauce (we used low-sodium—if yours is regular strength, you might want to err on the side of shorter marination time)
6 large eggs
Maldon or other flaky salt, for serving
Black pepper, for serving

Procedure:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the water and sugar to dissolve the sugar, then stir in the sherry vinegar and soy sauce.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully put the eggs into the boiling water and cook for exactly 6 minutes and 50 seconds, stirring slowly for the first 1 1/2 minutes to distribute the heat evenly. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. When the eggs are done, transfer them to the ice bath.
3. Once the eggs are cool (and the water isn’t uncomfortably icy), peel them (in the water—this will help them keep a perfect exterior). Transfer the eggs to the soy sauce mixture and marinate in the fridge for at least 2, and up to 6, hours, making sure they are completely submerged. If necessary, top the eggs with a small plate to ensure submersion.
4. Remove the eggs from the sweet and salty solution. You can save the soy sauce mix for another round of eggs, if you wish. The eggs will keep, refrigerated in a tightly sealed container, for up to a month.
5. To serve, cut the eggs in half lengthwise and season with salt and pepper.

SuperSeed Crackers!

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seed crackers

A couple of weeks ago, I was working at the coop (required for membership) and needed a snack. One of the customers purchased a box of Mary’s Gone Crackers, which looked like a healthy option. I loved them and before I knew it, I had polished off the entire box! (not unusual :P). They reminded me of these raw seed crackers that I had tried in culinary school while helping out with a dinner for another class. Therefore, I decided to try making a similar version at home, instead of buying another box. This recipe is supereasy, healthy, and yummy; hence, a great snack option 🙂 Not only are these crackers packed with omega 3s and antioxidants, they are also gluten-free, raw, and low-carb!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/3 cup flax seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup coconut water
1 teaspoon za’atar
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:
1. *If using oven, preheat to 300 degrees. Combine all seeds and blend for about 10 seconds in the Vitamix or other powerful blender. Do not make into fine powder; leave some texture.
2. Add remaining ingredients to blender.
3. Blend again to fully incorporate ingredients. The batter should not be as thick as cookie dough but not as thin as pancake batter. It should resemble fluff, just not as sticky.
4. Using a spatula, spread onto Tefflex-Lined Dehydrator Screens or silpats about 1/8th of an inch thick. The thinner you spread it, the crispier the cracker.
5. If using oven, bake for about 30 min on each side, watching it closely. If using dehydrator, set to 155 degrees for 8 hours on each side, until crisp. If this doesn’t end up being crispy enough, you may have to put it into the oven.
6. When done to desired crispness, break apart and store in airtight container.