Tuesday, February 28, 2012

lemony fresh

I love cooking with lemon juice, specifically, with fresh lemon juice. It is such a simple ingredient that can take the flavor of a dish above and beyond. While I always keep lemon juice in my fridge, when I pick up fresh lemons at the super market, I make sure I highlight them in my meal. This week, lemons inspired me to make delicious salmon and kale, both heavy on the lemon. If you didn't catch the trend by now, I absolutely love fish, and greens. And specifically, I've been on kale kick lately (and by lately, I mean the past year). If you haven't tried it, you must. Not only is it amazingly good for you (hello Vitamins K, A and C!) but it is so easy and versatile. It works wonderfully raw in a salad, steamed, or sauteed. Definitely check out my posts below with kale- I know it seems a little scary to handle, but I promise you, it is delicious!

My friend came over for dinner the other night and was kind enough to bring fresh, delicious salmon to share with my roommate and I. When creating the recipe, I let lemon take center stage (my friend also loves lemon so I knew it would be a hit) and inspire my meal. Before steaming my kale, I sauteed shallots and sunchokes, elevating the flavor level of my dish. And speaking of unfamiliar vegetables, I introduce to you, the Sunchoke. These weird little guys look almost like a mix between a finger and ginger root. They are long and tubular, and have a skin on them resembling that of a potato. Artichoke lovers, don't be fooled...these tasty little root veggies are related to the sunflower, not the artichoke. But never fear, they're just as delicious and cook more quickly than many of their root veggie cousins. The simplest way I've found, is to slice them into thin rounds, and saute (though roasting them works as well- watch out though, they will cook much more quickly than other root vegetables you might be used to roasting!). Not only are they delicious, but they're also inexpensive and abundant --people seem to shy away from these bad boys at the farmers market, which is great for me, but I'll share the wealth. Enjoy the farmer's market friendly recipes below (my all time favorite place to buy my produce, if you haven't been to Union Square on a Saturday, you must go, I promise you're in for a treat). 



White Wine Kale with Sunchokes and Lemon Herb Salmon

1 Shallot, chopped
5 sunchokes, peeled and cut into thin rounds
½ head of kale, taken off the stem
½ head of dinosaur kale (purple kale), taken off the stem
1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp slivered almonds
½ lemon
1/4 cup white wine


Place a large, shallow pot over medium heat on your stove
Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of the pot
Add shallots and sunchokes and cook on low until they begin to soften (around 6-7 minutes)
Once these have cooked down a bit, add a splash of water, lemon juice, and next the kale
Cook on medium-low for a minute before adding the white wine, and the fresh tomatoes
Cook for one more minute covered before removing from heat
Sprinkle a last splash of lemon juice and almonds

kale, in the raw.


just added the sunchokes...


yum.

4 portions of fresh salmon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon
1 tsp dill
½ tsp rosemary
½ tsp thyme
Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Place salmon filets on a baking sheet, covered in tin foil, brushed lightly with olive oil
Drizzle remaining olive oil over filets
Squeeze the juice of ½ of the lemon over the fish
Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, and the sprinkle herbs evenly over each of the filets 
Place lemon slices on top of fish
Cook for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then a last 3 minutes with the oven on broil
enjoy!

perfectly cooked salmon

a personal accomplishment


For one reason or another, meringues have given me more trouble than I'd like to admit. Every year on passover, my mom and I attempt the seemingly simple 5 ingredient cookie, and every year something goes wrong --the egg whites don't peak, the cookies never finish cooking, they are mushy on the inside...the troubles go on. No matter what we seem to do, what recipe we seem to try, it just never works out. And it's not just on passover. I know that not everyone likes them, but I truly love meringues, plus, they're naturally gluten free!

And so, I made it my mission to master the meringue. A simple task, perhaps for some, but a small baking Everest for myself. This weekend, filled with confidence brought on by my cookie making rampage (see the previous post). With scientific calculations (looking at many recipes and figuring out what would work best for me), I finally came up with a fool proof (I know, they all say they're fool proof) recipe for meringues. These meringues turned out perfectly crisp and delicious, and while they are just plain vanilla meringues, I am incredibly proud of myself. In the future, I promise more interesting meringue variations, but for now, please enjoy these!

A word to the wise, be sure to add the ingredients in order and mix as directed! This will really help ensure the perfect peaking egg whites and the deliciously sweet and crispy meringues (follow the picture montage below!)


Beauties!!!



Vanilla Meringues

3 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sugar

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees
Beat (with a whisk attachment) eggs, vanilla and salt in your mixing bowl on high until foamy
Slowly add the sugar (1 tbsp at a time until it is all added) in while continuing to mix on medium-high
Once all of the sugar is added, whip mixture until stiff peaks form (see pictures!)
With a spoon, dollop tablespoon sized meringues onto a parchment lined cookie sheet (they will keep the shape that you place them in, and will not expand)
Bake the cookies for 1hr 30 min before allowing to cool on the cookie sheet
enjoy!

egg whites

the peaks begin

almost there

perfectly peaked!!
into the oven
the finished product
enjoy!

Monday, February 27, 2012

crazy for cookies

Okay, lets be honest- who isn't?! Cookies are a magical invention of deliciousness, all wrapped up in a neat little hand held package. You can eat them on the go or on the couch, you can even eat them with ice cream in the middle (just wait till summer time...it's happening). When there's a cookie around, everyone is happy. The wonderful thing about cookies, is that not only are they easy to transport and easy to eat wherever you like, they're also a crowd pleaser no matter who is eating them. Babies love them, grandmas always seem to be making them, and mom always puts a smile on your face when you open up your lunch and find that she's packed you a cookie.

With a sweet tooth like mine, I am obviously not an exception to the rule. Cookies are so simple, I have been known to make multiple batches in one day. In fact, this weekend, that is exactly what I did. To say I went a little overboard might be accurate, however all of my friends who I have happily shared my sugary little creations with would agree that all three were definitely delicious (and therefore obviously necessary that I baked them all).

I started out with one of my classic gf favorites, a peanut butter cookie, decided, why not add chocolate to that, and then ended by attacking the meringue (post to follow shortly). I honestly think all three turned out awesomely (thank goodness after the last cookie catastrophe), but you'll have to ask my harshest critics, my friends, about that. For now, enjoy the scrumptiousness of not one, but two peanut butter cookies. These cookies are "naturally" gluten free, aka no weirdo substitutions. And I bet that you have most of the ingredients sitting in your kitchen now. The first is a classic peanut butter, and the second, a peanut butter chocolate cookie, because, well why not?


Peanut Butter Cookies

¾ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
for all the peanut butter fans out there

ready for the oven!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Mix all ingredients together by hand in a large mixing bowl
For the peanut butter, grease the inside of your measuring cup and the spoon you use to scoop out the peanut butter (Non-stick cooking spray works well for this)- I promise, it will help you out a lot!
Once ingredients are well mixed together (make sure all sugar is incorporated), roll the dough into small balls and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
With a fork, create a criss-cross pattern and sprinkle the top of the cookie with brown sugar (optional)
Bake cookies for 10 minutes, taking them out, even if they don't look quite done 
Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring over to a cooling rack
enjoy!


cooling...it takes a lot of will power to let them sit there


yum!



Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies

¾ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
Chocolately goodness


Follow the same steps as the cookies above, but for a reminder: 
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Mix all ingredients together by hand in a large mixing bowl
Once ingredients are well mixed together roll the dough into small balls and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
With a fork, create a criss-cross pattern and sprinkle the top of the cookie with brown sugar (optional)
Bake cookies for 10 minutes, taking them out, even if they don't look quite done 
Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring over to a cooling rack
enjoy!


Chocolate and Peanut butter, what's not to love?


...I think next time, there will definitely be chocolate chips going into these bad boys

Sunday, February 26, 2012

dinner with friends

I love having friends over for dinner. Fortunately for me, many of my friends love cooking and eating delicious food just as much as I do. The other night two of my very good friends came over for dinner with lots of fresh, delicious ingredients; what resulted was a delicious and healthy week night dinner. Cooking dinner is such a de-stresser for me after a long day of work, as is seeing my friends who always make me laugh. I know that it is sometimes hard to make dinner after a long day at school or work, but with recipes like these, it is incredibly quick and easy. And I promise you, once you get into the swing of it, you'll look forward to making your dinner. Not only will you have something tasty to eat, but you'll feel accomplished as well. And if you still can't bring yourself to cook, invite yourself over to my apartment, I will be more than happy to cook for you too!!

These recipes are truly easy. A few of my friends are always making fun of me, because I'm often claiming that everything I cook is really easy. But, it is --I promise! I find that most of the recipes I create are interesting, yummy, flavorful, and creative, but not complicated. The ingredients in these recipes are some of my absolute favorites to cook with. The salad credit must go to my friend, who generously put this delicious salad together. Kale salad is delicious, and I find, often under appreciated. Kale scares a lot of people, especially when raw, but just try it out, and let me know what you think!


Tri-Color Quinoa with White Wine Mushrooms and Fresh Lemon Kale Salad

1 cup of Quinoa (I used a blend of white, black, red quinoa*)
1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 shallot, chopped
A good splash of white wine
1/2 tsp of rosemary and thyme
1/4 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

mushrooms deglazing in white wine

Combine 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa in a pot over high heat. Once water is boiling, turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook on low for about 10-15 minutes, checking frequently and fluffing with a fork once done. Add salt, pepper, and cumin and mix to combine.

Add a splash of olive oil to a separate pan, over medium heat. Add shallots, cooking until they start to turn translucent (a few minutes) and then add the mushrooms. Cook on medium-high for 5-7 minutes adding rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add a splash of white wine to the pan, turning on high and letting the alcohol cook out for a minute or two before turning down the heat to low. Combine mushrooms with quinoa, stirring and then adding in fresh tomatoes.


1 large head of Kale
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Kale salad, you must try
Cut Kale into bite size pieces and add to a large bowl. Whisk olive oil and lemon juice together with salt and pepper. Pour half of the dressing over the kale, massaging into the kale for a minute until the kale starts to turn a darker shade of green. Add walnuts and feta to the kale and toss. Add extra dressing slowly as desired.
enjoy!

a seriously delectable combination

*Quinoa is a grain, and cooks somewhat similarly to couscous. It also happens to be full of protein, and gluten free, and one of my favorite things to eat! Quinoa comes in multiple colors, but white/regular quinoa is most often eaten. I like the combination of the three --red and black are a bit nuttier and harder than the white, so it gives a dish a nice textural contrast.

can't win them all

The downside of gluten free baking, is that unfortunately, not all regular recipes translate perfectly into gluten free. Because of the mixing of flours, the addition of xanthum gum, things can get tricky, and unfortunately, things don't always turn out the way you want them to. I was very excited to make these cookies- I've been wanting to make shortbread, and when I found a recipe for brown butter, brown sugar shortbread cookies, I was very excited to make them. Unfortunately, as with most recipes, it was not gluten free. Despite this, I was eager to make a few substitutions, a few additions, and make the recipe my own. The dough itself was outstanding, so delicious, so the flavors were all there. Upon baking however, these cookies did everything in their power to drive me insane, but specifically- they did not hold their consistency. They spread out when baking, and turned out to be thin, and not at all the way that I imagined. While my friends actually enjoyed the cookies a lot (and ate a ton of them), they simply were not the texture that I desired, and not at all "shortbready" like I had hoped. None the less, I definitely encourage my non-gluten free friends to bake this recipe using regular flour (and no xanthum gum). I dream of these cookies, and one day, when I am less frustrated with them, I will attempt them again and hopefully prevail (promise gluten free friends!)

Brown Sugar, Brown Butter Shortbread


1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (cubed)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups of gf flour mix
1/2 tsp xanthum gum
1/4 tsp salt
Sugar in the raw


To make the brown butter, place butter into a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for around 6 minutes, stirring frequently (scraping down the sides and bottom as well). The butter should have a nutty smell to it. Pour the butter into a bowl and chill for an hour (should begin to firm up).

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar on high until it is light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla then the flour and salt at a lower speed until it has just combined (be careful to not over beat). Pour dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and form into a log, about 12 inches long and an inch a and a half wide. Chill dough in the fridge for about an hour.

scrumptious dough
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Once dough is firm and chilled, remove from wax paper and roll it in the coarse sugar. Pressing the dough into the sugar so that it sticks. Slice the dough into 1/4 inch thick and arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10-12 until edges of the cookies start to brown. Let sit on the sheet for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

enjoy!

Disclaimer: these cookies did not turn out so well for me. I think that because of the flour substitution, the cookies were just not having it...so it goes in the land of gluten free baking.



round, yummy, and rolled in sugar...
thin and crumbly, ugh.


*My wonderful (and creative) roommate urged me to include that, despite their failure as true cookies, these yummy treats create a delicious crumble --which is specifically delicious atop vanilla ice cream!

Monday, February 20, 2012

sister sister

For those of you who don't know, my sister is basically the coolest most wonderful person on the planet. Now, I know I'm biased, however, a lot of sisters hate each other so you'll just have to take my word on this one. My little sister is my best friend in the whole world, and probably would be yours too if you had the chance to meet her. At the moment she's busy studying and saving the world at college in Boston, but this weekend she visited New York. My cousins, aunt and uncle all came down from Boston for the weekend, and on Sunday my parents came in, so it was one big family reunion. We had a delicious brunch, and went to the Knicks game (Linsanity anyone?). I'm one of those dorks that basically can't get enough of spending time with my family, so this weekend was wonderful.

To top it off, my sister and her boyfriend spent the evening with me and my boyfriend last night at my apartment, giving them a perfect chance to make their sugar pie, honey bunch debut. Since my parents had come in that morning, thus making their standard delivery of 4 bags of produce, I had lots of veggies in my fridge, to say the least. Another great thing about my parents visiting is that they never seem to come empty handed. And since my dad shares the same love for produce that I do, he always brings me all of my favorites (well, to be honest, all veggies are my favorites). With tons of delicious produce to choose from, I decided to feature the beautiful eggplant and zucchini that had arrived earlier, pairing it with fresh basil and garlic. The results, pure deliciousness (and some board game fun as well).

the first of many games played


Cheesy Herb Baked Zucchini and Eggplant, served along side Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs


3/4 eggplant, sliced thinly
1 medium zucchini, sliced thinly
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup of pasta sauce of your choice
2 cups of spinach
4 cloves of garlic, minced
8 (or so) leaves of fresh basil
A few pinches of salt and pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
building the layers- delicious fresh basil.


...and it grows
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
Pour 1/3 of the pasta sauce into a baking dish
Place thinly sliced eggplant along the bottom of the dish, so that they overlap and cover the entire bottom of the pan
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs and 1/3 of the garlic
Top eggplant with the fresh basil leaves
On top of this layer, add another 1/3 of the tomato sauce, spreading evenly with a spoon
Next, put 1/2 of spinach on top and sprinkle with 1/2 of cheese
Repeat layering, using the slices of zucchini (and any leftover eggplant) instead of eggplant
Bake covered for 45 minutes, finishing off with 5 minutes uncovered, and 2 minutes uncovered under broil


The finished masterpiece




2 Cups uncooked pasta (I used gluten free, brown rice pasta)
A sprinkle of salt
1 cup miniature heirloom tomatoes (cut into fourths)
1 cup red pasta sauce
Fresh Herbs of your choosing


Bring salted water to boil in a large pot, adding pasta and cooking until done
Once your pasta is drained, add it back into the pot with a splash of olive oil at the bottom of the pot (so that the pasta doesn't stick)
Stir in pasta sauce, tomatoes and herbs
enjoy!!
paired with pasta, a perfect Sunday night dinner.


always room for soup

Sundays, are soup days. At home, Sunday is a big cooking day for my mom. Sunday is the one day of the week that she can cook all day long, and be (mostly) uninterrupted. Growing up, cooking with my mom was (and still is) something that I loved. One thing that is almost always on my mom's cooking list on Sundays, is soup. I have to say, my mom makes pretty kick ass soup. While growing up I was partial to her chicken soup with matzo balls, as I grew up I learned that my mom was a lady of many talents, as she whipped up delicious butternut squash soup, carrot ginger soup, split pea soup, chili, and more. 

These days, because lets be honest aren't we all turning into our mothers, I have adopted Sundays as my cooking day. Especially in the winter, it is the perfect day to stay inside, and making some delicious yummies for the upcoming week. I love making soup, and have to say that I now do it just the way my mom does it. Make a huge batch, put it in single serving size ziplock containers, and freeze all but one or two. Honestly, if you look in my freezer (or my family's at home) you'll find at least 8 containers of different kinds of frozen soup. It is the perfect last minute lunch to grab and defrost at work, or warm up quickly one night for dinner. 

This soup was inspired by one of my wonderful camp friends, who now lives in New York (so I get to see her a lot). She first made this for our friends when we all made shabbat dinner one Friday night at her apartment. I absolutely love cooking, and having dinner with my camp girls, who are some of my closest and most special friends.

Here's my take on her delicious soup --by slow roasting the veggies, and adding herbs and nutmeg, the layers of flavor in this simple soup are seriously awesome. 



Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Soup


1 large head of cauliflower
7 cloves of garlic, peeled and whole
1/2 onion (sweet or yellow), chopped
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
1 tbsp dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp bay leaf


beautifully roasted veggies

Preheat the over to 300 degrees
Give the Cauliflower a rough chop, removing all outside greenery, but keeping the stem (it is delicious roasted!)
Place the Cauliflower on a baking sheet with a baking sheet with the garlic and onion. Drizzle with olive oil
Roast for 1 hour and 45 min to 2 hours- roasting it a bit longer, and letting it brown will give the soup an even richer flavor
In a large pot over medium heat, bring broth and 2 cups of water to a slow boil, adding herbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and vegetables
Once the soup has reached a rolling boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for another 30-34 minutes (test cauliflower with a fork to see if it has reached a soft texture)
With an immersion blender (stick blender), puree soup until smooth (I like to leave a few chunks in there!)
Add any remaining spices (or salt to taste) and slowly add in last cup of water, if needed (depending on desired thickness)

 enjoy!!
Look at all those herbs, yum.

*Soup will stay well frozen. If you make a large pot and want to save some, place in freezable plastic containers until ready to eat. Day of, place in fridge to defrost. Once you're ready to eat, defrost in microwave or on the stove and enjoy

Thursday, February 16, 2012

more than just sugar

I know what you're thinking, who taught this girl how to eat? Yes, I'll admit, I have a slight sweet tooth (okay, slight under-exaggeration). But I promise, as much as I love sweets, I LOVE produce. In fact, if produce wasn't so healthy, I would say I have an unhealthy obsession. I blame it on my father. In my house, my dad is known as "the fruit man." Growing up, he would come home multiple times a week from work, arms bulging with bags full of fruits and veggies. I had produce with every meal, and still do. These days, it's pretty hard to find a fruit or vegetable that I don't like (okay, you got me--I do not like honeydew). During the summer, I spend my Saturdays wandering through the stands at the farmer's market, getting inspired by the beautiful greens, reds, oranges, and purples (I promise, starting in spring, this blog will seriously get vegged up). I'll eat 'em raw, steamed, roasted...you name it.
So anyways...enough with the veggie rant, there will be plenty of recipes to come that will express my love. 

My favorite time of day is around 7pm, when I get home from work, and have time to cook dinner. Nothing relaxes me more then cooking a delicious dinner for myself, and those that I love.  I'm fortunate to have many wonderful friends who enjoy coming over for a home cooked meal (or cooking with me and sharing new recipes), in return for their wonderful company. Thus, without further ado, the first of many delicious week night meals (starring produce).


YUM.

Herb Crusted Salmon and Steamed Lemon Kale, with Blistered Tomatoes


Fillet of fresh Salmon (1 fillet per person)
1 tsp of olive oil
1/2 a lemon
A sprinkle of salt and pepper
1/4 tsp of rosemary, fresh or dried (off the stem and chopped if fresh)
1/2 tsp dried dill

Take your fillets out of fridge and let them come to room temperature
Once fish is at room temperature, drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Zest a teaspoon of lemon rind onto the fish (a microplane works Wonderfully for this--thanks Mom!)
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, rosemary, and a good amount of dill

Heat a skillet over high heat and coat with nonstick cooking spray
Place the fish skin side up into the pan and let it cook on high for two minutes
Once a crispy top has been achieved (try not to lift it up before two minutes to ensure a nice crust) flip fish and lower the heat to medium-low, allowing the fish to cook for 5-7 more minutes, depending on how thick the fish is
Once done, remove, and serve with fresh lemon!



1/4 onion, diced (one whole shallot, diced also works beautifully here)
1/2 tsp olive oil
3 cups of kale, taken off of the stem and cut into ribbons
1/2 a lemon
A sprinkle of salt and pepper
1/2 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat a large sauce pan adding a drizzle of olive oil when hot
Add chopped onion or shallot and cook over medium heat for around 5 minutes
Once onions have browned, add a generous splash of water to the pan
Add the kale to the pan, toss and cover
Once the kale starts to cook down (around 3 minutes), add the tomatoes to the pot as well
Cook together for 3-4 minutes before removing from heat

Sprinkle veggies with salt and squeeze the rest of your lemon juice over the kale
Enjoy!
check out those herbs!

 

 


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

chocolate chubsters, for the fat kid in you

These cookies, are out of this world. But let's back up for a minute. Valentine's day has come around again, and once again the flurry of pink, hearts, and cheesy cards seems to cloud everyone's Valentine's day experience. But for me, Valentine's day has always been about the chocolate. When I was in elementary school, each year we would make valentine's mail boxes out of empty orange juice cartons, or old shoe boxes. I loved nothing more than handing out my hand made valentines to all of my classmates, and sorting through my mailbox after all had been passed out. Though I appreciated them all, truth be told, the valentine's I cared about were those that came with candy, specifically chocolate. Ever since, my love of chocolate has grown, as has my love for chocolate on Valentine's day. Now, I'm a firm believer that Valentine's day is kind of a made up holiday, but hey-- when chocolate is involved, I'm not complaining.

This year, I baked for all of my lovely work valentines, and a few friends as well. I started off thinking I was going to make sugar cookies, or something pink, but let's be honest--what girl doesn't just want good old fashion chocolate? So this recipe was created. It's kind of a mix between cookies, brownies, and meringues, but whatever you call them, they're delicious.


Triple Chocolate Chubsters

8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup gluten free flour mix
1/8 tsp xanthum gum
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place a glass or metal bowl over a saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water
Place butter in bowl. Once melted, add chocolate, cocoa, and oil--remove and let cool for 5 minutes once melted
Whip eggs in a bowl with a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment on medium. Once the eggs are foamy and thickened, add sugar and vanilla, increasing speed of mixer. Whip aprox. 3 minutes, until eggs are very thick and pale yellow
Reduce speed to medium and add chocolate mixture
Change to paddle attachment and add flour, xanthum gum, baking powder, and salt
Remove from mixer and add chocolate chips and walnuts--mix with a wooden spoon
Use an icecream scooper (or a soup spoon if you don't have one) and portion the batter onto pans lined with parchment paper. Place cookies 1-2 inches apart, they will not expand too much
Bake 17 minutes, until edges release easily
It is okay if the center is underdone slightly--I promise, it is better this way!
enjoy!! 

 

super bowl sweets

Even as a little girl, I always loved football. Nothing was better than curling up on a Sunday, and watching a game with my dad. I can't tell you what it was about the game, but I was always fascinated and entertained. I told my dad that I wanted to grow up and be a quarterback (though, I wanted to be a lot of things when I grew up). Needless to say, while my middle school football team had one or two girls on the team, I was not one of them. I quickly realized that not only did I lack the athletic talent to be a pro-sports player, but there was no way I wanted to have a 300lb defensive tackle headed in my direction.

Despite not pursing my NFL dreams, I still love watching football, and love Superbowl Sunday. For me, Superbowl snacks definitely trump the commercials. While everyone else looks forward to the newest Budwiser or Kia commercial, I look forward to the menu. There's nothing better than coming to a Superbowl party armed with delicious snacks for hungry (slightly drunken) fans. The Superbowl is always a good excuse for me to bake more than I could possibly eat alone, and share these goodies with friends. This year, was no exception.

Since I have a problem with over cooking, and making more than I could possibly need, I decided to go with both a cookie and a brownie for my boyfriend's Superbowl party. Both were new recipes, and both were delicious. They were devoured by hungry fans, and finished up by my wonderful co-workers the next day (I swear, someone is paying them to compliment me on my baked goods). The highest compliment a gluten free chef can get, is one from those who don't know a cookie is gluten free, and are not forced to eat gluten free. These recipes were in high demand after my friends ate them, so here you go!



I made monster cookies and double chocolate chip brownies. I made them gluten free, however you certainly could use regular all purpose flour and regular oats. The cookies are chunky and delicious- they would be great with nuts, peanut butter chips, or any other yummy you might want to add. The brownies are chocolate, moist, and frankly out of this world. Make them at your own risk, you will want to be sure you have people to share them with, or you will find yourself with a belly full of brownies in a short amount of time.





Monster Cookies


2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp corn syrup
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
4 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup plain M&Ms

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and both brown and regular sugars. Add one egg at a time, continuing to mix in between
Add vanilla, corn syrup, baking soda, and peanut butter. Mix on medium high until smooth
Add oats and mix well--Once you think you're done mixing, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again
Add the chocolate chips and M&M's (Mix these by hand! Otherwise your electric mixer will massacre your M&M's)
Place dough in the fridge for 30 minutes (This will help it firm up before baking)
Roll dough into balls, 1 tablespoon each, placing 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper*
Bake until edges are golden brown, or about 10 minutes
Let cool on baking sheets for two minutes, and then transfer to cooling racks
enjoy!!

Monsterlicious

*These cookies WILL expand, stick to smaller cookies, and be sure they are spaced out at least two inches, or else you will end up with cookie cake!



Double Chocolate Chip Brownies


1.5 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup canola oil
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces (or chips)
½ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp instant espresso powder (Coffee grinds will work here too!)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 cup gluten free flour
¼ tsp xanthum gum
½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
Place a glass or metal bowl over a sauce pan with an inch of simmering water
Add the butter, chocolate, cocoa powder, oil, and espresso powder to the bowl. Once fully melted, stir to combine and remove from heat. Let the chocolate mixture cool for 5 minutes
Combine the brown sugar and white sugar with the eggs in an electric mixer
Once fully combined at the vanilla extract, flour, and xanthum gum--mix until fully combined
Add melted chocolate mixture, and stir to combine. Once mixed, add chocolate chips
Pour batter into a 9x13 baking ban lined with parchment paper (butter paper as well for easy removal)
Smooth out with spatula to ensure even baking
Bake for 25 minutes
Let cool completely and cut to enjoy! 
Cooling in the fridge may help make cutting easier

Ooey, Gooey, delicious.