Yellow Pepper and Lemon Hummus Dip

We were having a small, impromptu afternoon drink with friends; I feel anytime drinks are involved, there should be snacks to go with them.  Perhaps it's an expectation that was been embedded by the bars of my youth who served little bowls of salty snacks; more recently it's the free popcorn available at many Chicago bars.

No-one is blind to the idea behind those salty snacks, and yes, we do drink more because of them ... but there is a chance I was going to drink more anyway!  Salty snacks was not my goal of this get together, it was just to have a quick afternoon munchie- nothing more. 

My last minute go-to dip always starts with a can of beans- white, black, garbanzo, whatever is in the cupboard.  This particular dip takes one extra step to roast the peppers but your house will smell delicious. Think of it as modern day tea time- only with drinks and dip rather than tea and crumpets.  It's Fat and Happy time.

Tips and Techniques:  Serve with a crusty bread, almonds and hunks of pecorino cheese. Use the leftovers as spread on sandwiches.

Lemon Yellow Pepper Dip

1 can White beans (Northern, Navy or Kidney)
2 yellow peppers
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small shallot, sliced
Olive oil
1 lemon, zested
handful of parsley
fresh ground black pepper
salt

Cut peppers in half, clean out seeds.  Drizzle olive oil on the peppers, roast in the oven until the skin blackens (about 20 minutes if under the broiler). Half way though roasting, add the garlic and shallots to the pan, drizzle with a little olive oil.  Remove from oven, remove skins from peppers and roughly chop

Place the peppers, garlic, shallots and beans in a food processor, pulse a few times.  Add in the handful of parsley, the zest from the lemon along with 1 tbls of the juice.  Turn the processor on and drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency is reached.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Homemade Choco Taco

There is a freezer vending machine at work which stocks ice cream bars, frozen tv-dinner type meals, and burritos.  By far the populist item is the Choco Taco.  In fact, these delectable old school snacks are so enticing that often the vending machine will sport a hand scribbled post it crying - "More Choco Tacos please!!"  

I'm not sure if it was the desire to fill that post it note request, or the challenge alone - but it was in my head to recreate that crunchy, chocolatey goodness of yesteyear and that's all I could think of for two straight days.  The result was stunningly delicious!   

Mine were mini, two bite morsels of a crunchy crepe/cookie-like cinnamon taco shell, painted with a layer of bittersweet chocolate on the inside and then filled with a homemade cinnamon ice cream, topped with crushed mixed nuts and finished with a chocolate drizzle.  Yum-O.  This is fat and happy that I want to share with everyone...after I'm full, that is.

Tips and Techniques:  I used a pancake waffle pan (I picked this up at Dominicks grocery for $12 have been struggling to find a real use for it.  This was it!)  Though you can make the shells in flat fry pan- the waffle texture does add to the final product.  If you own a waffle maker, try that too.  Just remember the shell needs to be quite thin so not to overwhelm.  To save time you could purchase ice cream rather than make your own (if you really had to.)

Crepe-like Waffle Taco

1 1/4 Tbl melted butter

1/3 cup Powder sugar

1/2 cup (scant) buttermilk

1/3 cup flour

1/4 tsp vanilla

pinch of cinnamon

1 tsp coco powder (optional)

2 -8 Tbls of water

Mix all the above ingredients with a wooden spoon until lumps are gone (expect for the water).  Add water as necessary to thin out batter.  The batter needs to be quite runny- you may want to test cook one taco to decide if it is thin enough for you.  

If you do use the pancake waffle pan, brown on one side and flip.  use a fork or spatula to push the crepes down into the groves.   Remove from pan and mold over something thin and round- I choose chopsticks.  The crepes will crisp up quickly.  Allow to cool.

Melt about 1/2 cup of bitttersweet chocolate.  Carefully paint the inside of the shells with the warm chocolate.  This will help to protect the shell from getting soggy once the ice cream is inside and it can cover any holes that might be showing through.

Assembling the Choco Tacos

1/4 cup crushed mixed nuts (I crushed a variety of salted almonds, cashews, pistacios and walnuts with a rolling pin)

1/4 cup melted bittersweet chocolate

Softened ice cream (preferably cinnamon)

Take one taco shell, carefully fill with ice cream and push nuts on top.  Return to freezer immediately for about 30 minutes.  Melt chocolate, remove tacos from freezer and drizzle with the chocolate.  Serve immediately or return to freezer until ready to serve.

Ice cream filling tip- You can do this a few different ways- you can put softened ice cream in a pastry bag and fill it like you would frosting.  Or you can press softened ice cream in a pan, freeze and then cut out half circles. Or you can just fill the tacos using a spoon.  Find what works best for you- just work quickly and drop everything back in the freezer when needed if the ice cream is melting.

Apple Crepe Stack with Cinnamon Pear Balsamic Caramel Sauce

How often do you create a dish that has the potential to be a breakfast (or brunch) dish and also a dessert dish?  I'm quite excited about this recipe for a couple of reasons, one of which is for the versatility.  Second, Old Town Oils currently stocks a cinnamon pear balsamic vinegar, which we gave to Dave's Aunt Bonnie for a Holiday gift.  My plan was to purchase a bottle for myself and create a few recipes- so 3 months later, that's what I'm finally doing.  This is the first of many cnnamon pear balsamic recipes to come.

The balsamic vinegar tastes pretty similar to what you might think, with an immediate hint of cinnamon and an overall sweetness before even reducing it.  They suggested pairing this with coffee cake, which sounds wonderful, but I see the possibilities are going to be endless, especially paired with meat.  Today however,  I was in the mood for a good breakfast.

Crepes layered with pumpkin butter and thin slices of fresh apple draped in a balsamic caramel sauce then topped off with Greek yogurt hinted by the cinnamon pear balsamic vinegar.  Simply outstanding!  Perfect as a sweet start to the day...but I also see this topped with a vanilla or cinnamon ice cream at the end of the day and paired with a spicy Port.  Yum.  Do not hesitate, make this today!

Tip and Techniques:  I made small crepes using a small omelet pan so that the stack would be slightly high.  It does take some time to make the crepes as the batter needs to rest, so start them well before you plan to eat.  Use either pumpkin or apple butter- they will both yield fantastic flavors! You can even skip the apples if you want a more pancake-type of texture; the apples give it a nice crunch though.



Apple Crepe Stack with Cinnamon Pear Balsamic Caramel Sauce

Crepes
1 cup sifted flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water (may need up to 1/2 cup more)
pinch of sea salt
2 tbls melted butter
1/2 cup pumpkin or apple butter
1/2 large red apple, sliced as thin as you can (using a mandolin will be the easiest way to slice the apple)

Mix the flour, eggs, milk, water and salt with a whisk, be sure to whisk out any lumps.  Add the melted butter and refrigerate for 1 one hour. Start the sauce below when you begin to make the crepes.  You'll make the crepes one at a time, brushing your pan with melted butter often. Pour only about 1/2 cup of the batter in at a time, swirling the pan to spread the batter as thin as possible. Flip when the first side turns golden brown.   As you stack the crepes, spread about 2 tablespoons of apple butter between each layer.

Cinnamon Pear Balsamic Caramel Sauce
1/2 large red apple, peeled and diced
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbls butter
2 tbls brown sugar
1/2 cup water
fresh ground black pepper
2 tbls pear cinnamon balsamic vinegar

Add all the ingredients except the vinegar to a small sauce pan and simmer on the lowest heat for 5 minutes.  Add in the balsamic vinegar and continue to simmer until the crepes are completed.  Pour over the stack of apple crepes.  Top with the cinnamon pear balsamic yogurt (below).

Cinnamon Pear Balsamic Yogurt
1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
2 tbls cinnamon pear balsamic vinegar
hint of ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients, keep chilled until read to use.

Chocolate Soy Chai

My new-found interest in soy milk has sparked an onslaught of recipe fun.  I'll be honest- I'm not a big fan of the plain flavored soy milk yet (though I see it as an acquired taste and I suspect it won't be long before I'm there), but I love the protein that it brings. Great for a quick protein snack. So I've been testing recipes using soy milk instead cow's milk.  This one works absolutely wonderful.  It's warm, tasty and chocolaty and you'll never guess it's soy.  I do highly recommend using Silk brand soy milk as the taste is superior.

Tips and Techniques:  This is a small batch, only 2 cups worth, I would double this next time as both of us wanted more.  I used English Breakfast for my tea, but feel free to change up the tea to vary the flavor.  And you could use regular chocolate milk in place of soy- just be careful to not scorch either of them.

Chocolate Soy Chai

2 star anise pieces
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
2- 1" hunks of fresh ginger, peeled and diced
3 cardamom pods, smashed
2 cups chocolate soy milk
2 tsp black tea

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, simmer on low for 5 minutes- careful not to scorch the soy milk.   Turn off the heat and add the black tea.  Steep for 5-10 minutes (for a stronger tea flavor, steep more towards the 10 minute time frame.)

Strain the chai and enjoy immediately.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Chorizo Lasagna

 There is nothing like a hot, gooey pan of lasagna.  Nothing!  Sometimes though, you want that guilty pleasure without all the guilt.  I created this recipe to satisfy Dave's cheesy needs and my urge to be healthy and low carb, it worked great both of us.  Success!

Like any lasagna, it takes a few steps to put together but it's completely worth it.  I'm most excited about the leek yogurt sauce- so tasty I'll be using this over and over again. Bottom line is you can have hot and gooey indulgence and maintain your bottom line.  Go ahead, indulge and be fat and happy!

Tips and techniques:  Leave out the chorizo if you are looking or a vegetarian option.  Use whatever veggies you have on hand.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Chorizo Lasagna with Leek Yogurt Sauce

2 cups each of fresh cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, cleaned and cut into large-bite size pieces
1 large sweet potato- sliced about 1/2inch thick
2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced into 1 inch pieces
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot, sliced
dry white wine or broth
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 cups cottage cheese
2-4 oz goat cheese
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded cheese (mixture of cheddar, mozzarella,)
1/2 cup of chorizo (sauteed)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper

Toss the cauliflower, broccoli and green beans with olive oil, salt and pepper, lay on a sheet pan covered with tin foil. Roast in a 450 degree over until crisp-tender.  You want the veggies to have some browned-roasted areas to them, but don't over roast or they will be too mushy.  Roast the sliced sweet potatoes on a separate pan and the leeks on a separate pan.   Set aside

Leek Yogurt Sauce:
Once the leeks are roasted, add them to a sautee pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
Add in the chopped shallots and garlic, fresh ground black pepper and a little seasoning salt- sautee until garlic and shallots are tender.   Add 2-3 cups broth or white wine (or broth) and simmer about 10 minutes.
Place all the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth.  Add the yogurt.  If your sauce is too thick, simply add more wine or broth.  Return to pan and keep warm

Choose your baking dish, I used 4 individual ramekins, but you can easily make one larger dish.  Spray the dish with pam,  Begin by layering the dish with the roasted sweet potatoes to cover the bottom like you would with lasagna noodles.  Add a layer of roasted veggies (use up all of your veggies), sprinkle with cooked chorizo.  Spread a  layer of cottage cheese, crumble a little goat cheese and  a thin layer if shredded cheese.  Pour about 1/4 of the leek sauce over the layers. 

Top with a final layer of potatoes, pour more of the leek sauce over the potatoes. Toss the bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Sprinkle over the potatoes.  Bake in the oven at 400 degrees until the edges are bubbly (about 20 minutes).  Remove from the oven and let it the lasagna rest before serving.  Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Seared Pear with Dried Fruit and Chocolate Drizzle

Stanley's Fruit Market had the cutest little pears last week that just couldn't be passed up.  They were Seckel pairs, like baby little Bartlett's, only sweeter.

After taking down a few with my teeth, I decided to make a little treat out of them.  It's simple and sweet with a hint of savory.  Great for a light dessert or an afternoon treat.  If you use a larger, or normal, size pear, you will probably find 1/2 of a pear per person is enough.  It's a yummy fat and happy treat! 


Seared Pear with Dried Fruit and Chocolate Drizzle
2 baby pears (or 1 large)
4 tbls each of dried blueberries and dried cranberries
2 tbls thinly sliced shallots
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tbls white wine
fresh black pepper

Toast a handful of pumpkin seeds
Warm 4 tbls of dark chocolate

Cut 2 baby pears in half, remove core

Add 1 tbls butter to warmed fry pan, over medium heat, sear pears in the butter, cut side down for about 3 minutes.

Add 4 tbls dried blueberries and 4 tbls dried cranberries.  Continue to sautee for about 2 minutes.

Add 2 tbls thinly sliced shallots and 2 or 3 thyme sprigs, sautee until the shallots are tender, about 2 minutes (careful not to burn them).  The pear should be nicely seared by now, remove pear, add 2 tbls white wine. Add about 10 turns of fresh black pepper, toss the berries a couple of times,  simmer for a minute.

Arrange the pears on a plate, spoon on the berries and sauce.  Drizzle with chocolate,  top with toasted pumpkin seeds and serve immediately while warm. (serves 2)

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Sweet potatoes are so good for you, why not find more ways to work them into your diet.  I had made a sweet potato mash to serve with a sauteed tilapia the other day and ended up with about a cup of left over potatoes.  The next night I was making a chorizo soup and wanted to incorporate these left overs somehow.  I've heard about sweet potato biscuits but haven't made them prior to this.  Here's the recipe I came up with- I'm quite happy with it.  The orange and apple are super flavors with the sweet potato without being too sweet and also cuts down on the use of dairy.  Many recipes out there call for cinnamon or nutmeg spices, I wanted to keep the biscuits on the savory side but I do think the spices would be a great addition if you planned to use these in a dessert.  Enjoy them with a soup, a stew or simply with jam or honey- they are filling, nutritious treat that will keep you fat and happy!

Tips and Technique:  The heavy potatoes keep this biscuit from rising to much so keep them a smaller size when you cut them out so they don't end up as a large, heavy hockey puck.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

2 cups flour, sifted
1 Tbl baking powder
1 Tbl sugar
1 tsp salt
8 Tbls cold butter, cut into tiny pieces
1/2 cup applesauce
juice of 1 orange
3/4 - 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes

Mix together the dry ingredients, add the butter.  Using either a pastry cutter or your fingers- work the butter into the flour until pea sizes form.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir by hand just until the dough comes together. You may need more or less juice depending on the humidity in your area and the size and juiciness of your orange, add this in slowly a few tablespoons at a time, just until the dough comes together.  You don't want to over mix biscuit dough.

Pat out the dough on the counter, use a round cookie cutter or small juice glass to cut out the biscuits. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet- bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the bottom lightly browns.

Spicy Spinach Egg Drop Soup

We've been on vacation for 2 weeks sailing around the BVI's - doesn't it just sound cool? A wonderful trip- but it's taking me another week to get back to reality of work and exercise and blogging!  I've been cooking since we got back, but I can't even remember what...apparently I'm still on Island time.

This soup is a really super, super simple.  It's not completely a true, classic egg drop recipe, but what recipe of mine is?  It's always about making what you have work, or working with what you have.

I had thought about adding some sausage or chorizo to this for a slightly heartier soup, but I'm still on Island time and forgot.  Doesn't mean you can't though- even some left over roasted chicken would work well.  The eggs offer great protein on their own and it's just fun to see the strands firm up. I used chili oil as a final topper- it gives great flavor and the little floating orange pools of oil are so pretty.  Give this a try for a simple asian-esque soup.

Tips and Techniques:  Lightly whisk the eggs with a fork before adding to the soup; slowly pour the eggs through the tines of the fork to help create the thin strands. Whisk the soup in one direction using chopsticks.  If you want your spinach to be more firm, add it in after the eggs.  Do not continue to cook the soup or the eggs strands will become rubbery.


Spicy Spinach Egg Drop Soup

Sautee in olive oil for 3 minutes or until onions begin to soften:
1/4 finely diced red onion
fresh ground pepper

Add, continue to simmer another 3-5 minutes
2-3 thinly sliced, large crimini mushrooms
2 tsp ground ginger (if you have fresh, use about 2 tbls of thin slices)
dash of cayenne pepper

Add, simmer for 10 minutes
4 cups of broth (can use vegetable or chicken broth)
2 tbls soy sauce

In the meantime, scramble 2 eggs in a bowl and have 3 cups of fresh spinach ready
Remove the pan from the heat.
Add the spinach, push down.  Now add the eggs, slowly pour them through the tines of the fork, in about 3 batches.  Stop  to the stir the soup (in one direction, just once or twice around) using chop sticks.  Repeat until eggs are all in the soup.

Taste for salt (or soy sauce) and pepper- add if needed.
To serve - add a small drizzle of chili oil to each bowl.
Enjoy!