brownies. kind of.

The other night I suddenly, inexplicably found myself with a craving for brownies that simply would not quit. My refrigerator was empty, it was late in the evening, and outside my window temperatures had fallen into the 40s. I was less than overjoyed at the prospect of putting on a coat and schlepping to the market. But I wanted brownies.

I'd been experimenting with dairy alternatives for the past few weeks anyway, so I decided to Google "vegan brownie recipes" and see what I could come up with. It turns out that there are tons of them to choose from! Not knowing much about vegan cooking, I opted for one of the most basic (and highest-rated) recipes I could find. I was surprised that it didn't seem terribly healthy--unbleached flour, white sugar, a full cup of vegetable oil? Really? Aren't vegans supposed to be more health-conscious than the rest of us? (I've been a vegetarian for years, but would have a really hard time parting with eggs or seafood.) It did seem like a good base, though, so I changed a few things to make the recipe a bit healthier.

The end result? Something that is: a) not a brownie, and b) really tasty. This probably won't become my go-to brownie recipe--there are far too many authentic brownie recipes to choose from--but it's not a bad alternative if you're short on eggs, milk, or butter, or if you're cooking for someone with allergies. Next time I'd try adding walnuts and/or chocolate chips, which I think would bring these imposters a step or two closer to the real thing.

Vegan Brownies

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients (as written):

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water 

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients (my version):

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Pour in remaining ingredients and mix until well-blended. Spread into a prepared 9x13 baking pan.

3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is no longer shiny. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

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pumpkin seed brittle

Pumpkin Seed Brittle

recipe courtesy of Deborah Snyder (reprinted from New York magazine)

Ingredients:

2 cups pepitas

1 tablespoon salt, divided

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

3 tablespoons butter (I substituted olive oil)

1 cup and 4 tablespoons sugar (I used brown sugar)

2 grinds with a pepper mill of white or black pepper

Pinch ground cinnamon

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the pumpkin seeds with 2 teaspoons of the salt and toast them on a parchment- or Silpat-lined cookie sheet until lightly colored and fragrant, about 10 minutes. 

2) To prepare the caramel, put the corn syrup and butter in a heavy medium-size pot. Add the sugar and about 3/4 cup of water to just moisten it. Melt the sugar over medium-high heat. 

3) Continue to cook until the mixture taxes on a hint of color, then add the remaining salt and the pepper and cinnamon. Cook the caramel until it turns a deep amber color and registers about 290 degrees on a candy thermometer. 

4) Remove pot from heat and add the seeds. 

5) Stir well with a lightly sprayed kitchen spoon or rubber spatula. Pour the brittle out on a silicone pan liner or well-sprayed piece of parchment, then slowly work the brittle thin with a greased or sprayed rolling pin. Gently roll over the same sections until the brittle spreads and thins to about 1/2 inch.

6) Once the brittle has cooled and completely hardened, break it into small pieces and store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

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healthy chocolate?

There's no time like the present.

After a summer of way too much ice cream, pizza, potato chips, and other junk, I decided a few weeks ago that it was finally time to pay more attention to what I'm putting into my body. The changes I've made include eliminating "white" foods (potatoes, pasta, bread) from my diet, cutting back on added sugar and carbs, upping my protein intake, buying organic eggs, drastically reducing the amount of dairy I consume, drinking tea instead of coffee, and taking vitamins on a daily basis. And it's working! With a week or two I noticed that I was sleeping better, had more energy and clearer skin, and was even losing a little bit of weight. Who knew it was so easy to feel great?

That said, though, I'm smart enough to realize that giving up all junk food--and chocolate in particular--is just not an option for me. Fortunately, dark chocolate is loaded with flavonoids (a naturally occurring plant compound that has antioxidant properties and can also aid in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol). Berries are also antioxidant-rich (and offer fiber and Vitamin C) and almonds are high-protein, heart-friendly, and contain more calcium than any other nuts. I'd been eating a square of dark chocolate with a handful of nuts and berries as a sweet snack anyway, so I decided to try combining them into one delicious bite. It's the perfect dessert or late-night snack, and it's (kinda-sorta) good for you!

Berry-Almond Chocolate Bark

Ingredients:
6 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (at least 65% cacao)
3/4 c. unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 c. dried blueberries
1/2 c. dried cranberries












Directions:
1. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring at 30-second intervals until fully melted.

2. Mix berries and almonds into melted chocolate and stir to combine.

3. Pour mixture onto a foil-lined baking sheet and allow to cool completely. 

4. Break into bite-size pieces and stir in an airtight container. 

Makes 2 1/2 - 3 dozen pieces. 

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two super soups

Two recent additions to my soup repertoire. Both are simple and inexpensive to prepare, healthy, and delicious!

Spiced Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup
recipe courtesy of Healthy Shortcuts to Success by Lesley Waters

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes
1 large sweet potato
2 tablespoons curry paste (I substituted curry powder)
1 onion, peeled and minced
2/3 cup split red lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk
1-2 tablespoons cilantro, plus more for garnish
freshly ground black pepper 


Directions: 
1. Peel the potatoes and sweet potato, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat the curry paste in a pan, stir in the onion, cover, and steam-fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the potatoes, sweet potato, lentils, and stock to the pan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Stir in the coconut milk and gently heat through. Season to taste with pepper, then stir in the chopped cilantro. Ladle the soup into warm bowls, top with cilantro sprigs, and serve.

Garden Vegetable Soup

recipe courtesy of Alton Brown 

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil 

2 cups chopped leeks, white part only (I substituted onions)

2 tablespoons finely minced garlic (omitted)

Kosher salt 

2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds 

2 cups peeled and diced potatoes 

2 cups fresh green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces 

2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth 

4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes 

2 ears corn, kernels removed (I omitted the corn and used spinach instead)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves 

1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, and green beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

  

2. Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, corn kernels, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Serve immediately.

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never the same cookie twice!

Garbage (or "junk drawer") cookies are created with whatever odds and ends you have on hand, making them the perfect way to use up all of those half-empty bags of nuts, candies, and chocolate chips in the pantry. Just begin with the simple chocolate base, and mix in as many extras as you want.

Chocolate "Garbage" Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

Pinch of salt
1/2 cup of each of your favorite "add-ins" (marshmallows, chocolate chips, toffee pieces, nuts, coconut, M&Ms, raisins, etc.)






Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the milk and vanilla and beat well.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat into creamed mixture.

4. Stir in whatever "add-ins" you wish. (For this version I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanuts, walnuts, coconut, raisins, and mini Charleston Chew candies. Pretty good, but next time I'd omit the peanuts.)

5. Drop by tablespoonful (or larger, if you want) onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Yields about two dozen cookies.

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salsa (a pictorial essay)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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pretty pasta

A few nights ago I was looking for a great main dish recipe to utilize all of the beautiful vegetables that are in my local market right now. This is bright and flavorful, and not too heavy for a summer supper. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but the few slight changes I made are in italics.

No-Cream Pasta Primavera
recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 12-ounce package penne pasta
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned (I used a whole pepper)
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
 5 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (I used 10-12 spears)



1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 large yellow onion, thinly sliced (I used a whole onion)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (omitted)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
13/ cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese (omitted)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes or until al dente. Drain.

3. In a bowl, toss squash, zucchini, carrot, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans, and asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning.

Arrange vegetables on the baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.

4. Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Mix in cooked pasta, lemon zest, basil, parsley, and balsamic vinegar. 

Gently toss and cook until heated through. Toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with Romano cheese to serve.

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craving a classic

For the past few days I've had a somewhat inexplicable craving for the classic M&M cookie. You know the one--soft, chewy, colorful, and just a tiny bit more delicious than your standard chocolate chip. Kind of like the version they sell at Starbucks, but without the taste of mass production. 

As luck would have it, I had an unopened bag of M&Ms on the countertop in my kitchen. (Come to think of it, that bag was probably the source of the craving in the first place...) I didn't have a recipe on hand--I'm pretty sure I've never attempted this classic before--but they're a dime a dozen on the Internet. I combined a few recipes to accommodate the ingredients I had on hand, and...presto! Success on the first try!

Classic M&M Cookies
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com and Taste of Home

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon water
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups M&M plain candies


1. In a large bowl, blend shortening, butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla extract, and water. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Stir in 1 cup of the M&M candies.

2. Drop dough by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. For extra color, press a few of the remaining M&Ms into top of each dough ball. 

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
 
Yields about two dozen cookies. 

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dark chocolate cherry muffins

Dark Chocolate Cherry Muffins
recipe adapted from Dying for Chocolate (reprinted from Gourmet, January 2005)

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
5 ounces 70% dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sweet cherries, pitted and chopped


Directions:
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Melt butter, half of chocolate, and milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Cool 15 minutes. Add eggs and whisk until smooth.

3. Whisk together flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in remaining chopped chocolate and chopped cherries.

4. Divide batter among 12 greased or lined muffin cups. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack.

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stuffed shells

Stuffed Shells

Loosely adapted from a couple of magazine clippings, as well as my own recollection of a dish my mom often made for weeknight dinners.

Ingredients:

1 box jumbo pasta shells 

1 10-ounce package chopped frozen spinach, thawed

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese

1/4 cup chopped basil leaves

1 egg

1 24-ounce jar pasta sauce

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and dry on paper towels.

Mix ricotta, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella, basil, and egg in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Spread 1/3 jar of pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Fill each shell with ricotta mixture, and place in dish.

Top shells with remaining pasta sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan. 

Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

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blueberry bounty

One of my favorite things about summer is abundance and affordability of blueberries at my local market. One of my least favorite things is buying too many blueberries and realizing that there is no way I can eat all of them before they go bad. My solution? Make muffins!

These are great for breakfast, and they also freeze very well.

Blueberry Muffins

adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup salted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins, or line cups with paper liners.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over blueberries, and stir to coat berries thoroughly.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in milk alternately with flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Fold in berries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen muffins.

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salmon chowder

This is the dish I always "request" when I'm visiting my parents and mom is cooking dinner. I'm not sure where the recipe came from--it's not hers originally, and all I have is a photocopy of a 4x6 clipping from a magazine. But wherever it came from, this soup is simple, delicious, and perfect for a rainy day.

Salmon Chowder

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1 clove garlic, minced (omitted)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable stock instead)
1 cup chopped potato
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
1/2 teaspoon dillseed (I substituted dillweed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 12-ounce can (1 1/2 cups) evaporated milk
1 8 1/2-ounce can cream-style corn
1 7 1/2-ounce can salmon, drained, flaked and skin and bones removed

 

Directions:

In a large saucepan cook onion, celery, sweet pepper and garlic in hot butter or margarine until tender. Carefully stir in broth, potato, carrot, dillseed, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in evaporated milk, corn and salmon. Heat through. Ladle into warmed bowls. Makes 4 servings.

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pasta with peas, cream, parsley, and mint

The perfect stovetop dish for a warm summer evening. Be sure to use fresh grated Parmesan instead of the cheap stuff in the plastic canister--it makes a world of difference in the finished product.

Pasta with Peas, Cream, Parsley, and Mint
recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit

Ingredients:
1 16-ounce package large shell pasta or elbow pasta
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1 16-ounce package frozen petite peas (do not thaw)
2 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided

Directions:
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, bring cream to simmer in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peas and simmer just until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups cheese and stir until melted and sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Stir in mint and 1/4 cup parsley.

Pour sauce over pasta and toss to coat, adding pasta cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve, passing additional Parmesan alongside.

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