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!