Carrot-Walnut Cookies

If you know me, you know I have a sweet tooth.  I pretty much love all cupcakes, cakes, cookies and candy.  But guess what?!  I cannot find a single store bought cookie that doesn't have evaporated cane juice, corn syrup, molasses, brown sugar, etc. in it.  This makes my love affair with sweets rather frustrating at times.  So in my never ending quest to find something to satisfy my sweet tooth without eating refined sugar I came across this recipe and decided to give it a shot.  It was super quick and easy to make, delicious and very moist.  I believe it could also be easily adapted to a gluten-free recipe as well if someone wishes to do so. 

P.S.  Don't be scared of the walnuts if you're not a fan of nuts in cookies.  I absolutely prefer all desserts without nuts--I simply don't think they're necessary.  For this recipe, though, you grind them up so you can't even tell they're there. 

Picture courtesy of Whole Foods

1 c. raw unsalted walnuts

1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats (Note:  I only had 1/3 c. of rolled oats so for the other 2/3 c. I used steel cut oats.  I think this may have changed the texture a bit but they were still delicious).

1 c. raisins

1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

2 carrots, grated

1 apple, grated (I did not peel it and don't think it is necessary at all)

1 very ripe banana, peeled and mashed

1/4 c. apple juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Combine walnuts, oats and raisins in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger.  Add carrots, apples, banana and apple juice.  Stir until combined.  Drop by rounded tablespoons an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets, making about 24 cookies.  Press down on each cookie with a fork to flatten them slightly.  Bake until tops and bottoms are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. 

Per cookie:  80 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated f, 0 mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium, 13 g total carb (2 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugar), 2 g protein

Shhhh.... don't tell anyone but these are vegan as well.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

This past weekend I tried a new recipe from May's Bon Appetit magazine--Bucatini all'Amatriciana.  Patrick and I LOVE italian food and this dish was amazing.  Here's the recipe I used--I only made on slight modification to the original.  Hope you enjoy! 

Patrick barely had the patience to wait for me to take this picture!  It smelled delicious!

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. thinly sliced guanciale, pancetta, or chopped unsmoked bacon
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz. can peeled tomatoes with juices, crushed by hand
Kosher salt
12 oz. dried bucatini or spaghetti
1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino (about 1 oz.) --I omitted the cheese

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add guanciale and sauté until crisp and golden, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the guanciale to a cutting board.  Finely chop the guanciale and add it back to the pan.  Return the pan to the stove.  Add pepper flakes and black pepper; stir for 10 seconds. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt; add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until 2 minutes before al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.

The sauce before I added the pasta.

Add drained pasta to sauce in skillet and toss vigorously with tongs to coat. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and cook until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. (Add a little pasta water if sauce is too dry.) Stir in cheese and transfer pasta to warmed bowls.

After I added the pasta and pasta water--just before serving.

Hope ya'll enjoy this one as much as we did.  It was phenomenal! 

P.S.  I broke this down a little and believe that each serving costs approximately $1.12--better tasting than any italian restaurant I've ever eaten at and at a much better price.  It also only took about 30 minutes to prepare.  This one will become a regular in our house for sure!



Homemade Yogurt

Well... I've successfully made my first batch of homemade yogurt and I'll probably never go back to the ones at the store--it is SO much better. You can add whatever fruits and flavors you'd like to this plain yogurt base. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

1/2 gallon milk (I used 2%)
1 c. of plain yogurt (This is for your starter--it's how you get the probiotics into the yogurt. After the first batch you can use 1 c. of your previous batch as a starter.)
1/2 c. dry powdered milk

Pour milk into crockpot. Whisk in powdered milk. Heat on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the milk reaches 185 degrees (I used a candy thermometer), stirring occassionally.

Turn off crockpot and unplug. Let set 3 hours or until milk reaches 120 degrees.

Take 1 cup of the milk out of the crockpot and put in a small bowl. Add the yogurt to that bowl. Whisk until it is mixed thoroughly. Add yogurt and milk mixture to the crockpot, stirring to make sure the yogurt is mixed evenly throughout.

Cover the crockpot well with two beach towels and let set 10 hours. Uncover and dish into storage containers. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.


Notes: I used a little less than 1 c. of yogurt for my first batch--I used one 6 oz. container. In the future, though, I will use 1 c. of my previous batch. Also, you can freeze the yogurt so I froze 1 8-oz jar of yogurt to use as the starter for my next batch.

To speed the cooling process along you can put your pot in an ice bath for about 10 minutes until it reaches 120 degrees. Then put the pot back into the crockpot, stir in the yogurt per the directions about and cover. (This is what I did since it was 10pm when it reached 185 degrees and I didn't want to wait up for 3 hours for it to cool down).

Lastly, if you want a thicker yogurt you can add more powdered milk in the beginning or before you put it in the storage containers you can strain it.

Let me know if you have questions. I will do my best to help!

Aquacate del Chocolate

Another cheater recipe that's actually good for you!  Cyrus was very skeptical of this one and ended up really liking it.  And once again I didn't tell my dear hubby what was in these before having him lick the spoon but he liked it anyway.  Super yummy and no sugar!!  :)

1 ripe banana
1/4 c. agave nectar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 avocados, mashed
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Process banana, agave nectar and vanilla in a food processor (or blender) until smooth.  Add the avocados and cocoa powder and process until creamy.  Add up to 1/4 c. water (as desired) to make the pudding thinner.  Store in a sealed container.  It will keep for three days in the fridge or two weeks in the freezer.  Serve chilled or at room temperature. 

Black Bean Brownies

Black bean brownies have become the "new" old rave again but this recipe is different than most.  Many people think that something is "healthy" just because it has beans or greens in it, and while those things do add some nutritional benefit they simply don't make a recipe healthy.  This recipe, on the other hand, is a lot healthier than any other I've seen.  The sweetender is agave nectar which is low on the glycemic index, it has bananas (which provide potassium), beans (fiber and protein), cinnamon (good for blood sugar management) and oats (fiber, good carb).  Notice:  There's no sugar!

Now I know you're probably thinking these sound awful--and a lot of black bean brownies probably are.  Being the good wife I am, I told Patrick I would make him homemade brownies and did not tell him any of the ingredients (afterall, if he knew what was in them before he ate one he'd never even try one).  But when they came out of the oven he ate one.  Then another.  Then he told me how wonderful they were.  Then when Molly and Cyrus came home they each had one and were also very surprised.  So before you turn your nose up to this recipe, give it a chance.  It's pretty darn good! 

15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 whole bananas
1/3 c. agave nectar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 T. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. instant oats

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease an 8x8" pan and set aside.  Combine all ingredients, except oats, in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, scraping sides as needed.  Stir in the oats and pour batter into the pan.  Bake approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool before slicing. 

Note:  Rolled oats run through the food processor may be substituted for the instant oats.  If you find these brownies are too soft, add another 1/4 c. oats or flour.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Thank you Whole Foods for probably the most wonderful recipe I've ever made! I even impressed myself--which doesn't happen too often! This entire meal cost me about $25 to make for the both of us and would have cost at least $35+ per person at a very nice restaurant (in KC... even more in a bigger city). This recipe would be amazing with risotto but I decided to treat P & I to Truffled Mashed Potatoes--not too healthy but a new love of ours that we occassionally treat ourselves to! I cheated this time and bought the potatoes already made from Whole Foods... less mess, wonderful taste and even better price! So enough of the build-up, here's the recipe!

Braised lamb shank with truffled mashed potatoes and sauted red chard

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
6 lamb shanks
5 T. olive oil, divided
1 leek, chopped, white part only
4 carrotes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 whole garlic head, chopped (about 12 cloves)
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c. beef or chicken stock
4 sprigs thyme

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 3 T. of olive oil over medium heat in a braiser or casserole dish. Coat lamb shanks with flour and place in pan. Salt and pepper as desired. Cook shanks in olive oil until evenly browned on all sides. Once browned, remove shanks from pan and wipe clean.

Add 2 T. olive oil to pan and heat over medium heat. Saute leek, carrots and garlic until golden. Add diced tomatoes, chicken/beef stock and thyme to pan and stir. Add shanks and cover with veggies. Place in oven and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, turning once or twice throughout.

When lamb is tender (about to fall of the bone), remove shanks from pan and return the pan to the stove. Heat veggies on medium high until sauce has thickened. If you want to make it thicker, whisk 1-2 T. cornstarch into sauce. Serve shanks with sauce on top!

P.S. I'd provide the link to the WF recipe but unfortunately their site is down right now... I will add it later! Hope ya'll enjoy this dish as much as we did!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Lately Patrick and I have turned into Food Network junkies--it's pretty much on 24/7 in our house. Our favorite show, though, is Worst Cooks in America. I've always considered myself a pretty decent cook but I think it's possible that even I could fail some of their challenges!

Anyway, two weeks ago they did a challenge where each contestant had to make something they hated and one of the recipes given out was for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. Now, I'd never had Brussels sprouts prior to watching this show, but I probably would have told you I didn't like them (pretty much because most people don't like them so naturally I assumed they were awful). But after watching Carlos make these Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon I decided I should give them a try--after all, he had hated them before he made this recipe and when he tried them he decided they weren't too bad afterall. Then this weekend I decided to try my hand at the recipe by Anne Burrell. It was AWESOME!

So... for all you Brussels sprouts haters and nay-sayers out there, this recipe is for you! Hope you try it (and enjoy it as much as we did)!

Ingredients
12 Brussels sprouts
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 c. pine nuts
2 slices slab bacon, cut into lardons
1 block Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise, from top to bottom.

Toss the sprouts with olive oil, salt and crushed red pepper. Toss in the oven until tender, about 20 minutes.

Place the pine nuts on a sheet tray in the oven for the last 5 minutes of roasting the sprouts.

While the sprouts are roasting, put the bacon in a small saute pan with a splash of olive oil and bring the pan to a medium heat. Cook the bacon until it is crispy, 7-8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan.

Toss the roasted Brussels sprouts with the crispy bacon and toasted pine nuts. Using a peeler, shave a few slices of Parmigiano on top.