Broccoli Casserole

I am not a big fan of casserole dishes, but this is an exception. I am always so happy after I eat this dish because it's so hearty and filling and soooo tasty. It's just like homemade mac n' cheese only completely different. make sense? You know the bubbling sound you hear when homemade mac n' cheese is pulled from the oven? Yea, this dish has this too. You know when the noodles are completely smothered in a rich gooey cheesy sauce? Yea, the broccoli acts like the noodles in this dish. You know the crusty top mac n' cheese has from the parmesan cheese? Mmm hmm, this has it too! Make sense now?

Ingredients:

10 oz frozen broccoli florets
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup bisquick ( I recommend the "Heart Smart" variety of Bisquick because it doesn't have hydrogenated oil and other unnecessary fillers).
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
parmesan cheese
salt

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, throw in all of the ingredients. Mix. Pour into a baking dish. Sprinkle over parmesan cheese to act as a crust. Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes. Serve with a side salad.


Enjoy!

Banana Ice Cream

I'll say this right now. I would rather curl up with a bowl of this rather than real ice cream. It's smooth, sustaining and guilt free. Whenever I have bananas that are on the brink of turning brown, I place them in the freezer, peeled and in a plastic bag. When it comes time for that sweet fix right before bed, I whip them up in a food processor, add a splash of nonfat milk and there you have it - a heavenly banana cloud in a bowl.

Ingredients:

Frozen bananas
milk

Directions:

For two people, I usually blend about 2.5 bananas. This usually leaves just a little bit for the next go around. If you don't finish it all, just pop the already blended bananas in the freezer.
To make it easier on your food processor, cut the bananas into one half inch slices. Believe me, your food processor will thank you. Before you turn the machine on, pour in a half cup of milk (I prefer non fat). Add in more milk if it's too thick. the finished product should be the consistency of real ice cream.

Enjoy!

Healthy Diner Food

If there is a will there is a way to whip up a delicious meal that equally satisfies your taste buds as well as your waist. Using 99% fat free turkey is a healthier alternative to making diner style burgers without all of the grease and fat that generally comes with the territory of beef. Topped off with simple caramelized onions, a slice of tomato and a leafy lettuce, this burger is anything but sinful (with the exception of the buttery brioche bun). Instead of deep fried fries, a side of baked sweet potato fries is a nice compliment to the burger and also earthy brussels sprouts. To add a sweet kick, seared pineapple sprinkled with sea salt.

It's February. It's definitely not BBQ season and I don't have a BBQ. Instead, I "grilled" the turkey burgers and sliced pineapple on a seasoned cast iron skillet. I was pleasantly surprised with the way everything turned out.

Ingredients:

ground turkey meat
brioche bun
swiss cheese
lettuce
slice of tomato
onion
frozen sweet potato fries
brussel sprouts
pineapple wedge
sugar

Directions:

In a hot cast iron skillet, place already formed burger patties in the skillet. cook until done. Place one slice of swiss cheese on top of each patty. Let melt.

Remove burgers from the cast iron skillet and place them somewhere with a lid to keep warm. Roughly slice up half of an onion and throw into the same skillet. let saute for about 10 minutes until transparent. As the onions cook, they will grab bits from the turkey burger. To deglaze the skillet, add a splash of water and drizzle olive oil. sprinkle some salt over the onions, and if you want, you can add some sugar to help with the caramelization process. This whole process should take only about 15 to 20 minutes.

In the same skillet, sans onions, place a couple pineapple wedges in the hot skillet and let them sizzle for no more than 3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle a dash of sea salt.

Cut brussels sprouts in half and spread over baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper all over the brussel sprouts and move them around with your hands so that everything is nicely coated. Place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Bake them at the temperature the sweet potato fries should bake at.

In another baking dish, pour in a bag of frozen sweet potato fries.

Dish it all up, and enjoy!

Gingerly Tea, Made at Home

Deeeeeeelish. I did not expect this homemade tea to be as good as I thought since all I did was open up my spice cupboard and use whatever I could find. I haphazardly chopped up a ginger root and cardamom pods. Zested an orange and a lemon. Threw it all in a pot of boiling water along with a cinnamon stick and dried licorice. Let it steep and hello tea that I randomly made in under 10 minutes on a Saturday night...don't judge.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of a ginger root
6-12 cardamom pods
1 small orange and lemon to zest
1 cinnamon stick
1 small pinch cinnamon powder in the boiling water
1 tablespoon dried bits of licorice
add honey for sweetness

Directions:

Throw it all (gingerly) in a pot of boiling water. let it steep for about 5 minutes and strain out the ingredients.

Add a crumpet if you want to be dainty or pretend it's afternoon high tea.

Brunch for Two

I can't think of anything that makes me feel more homespun and happy than brunch on a Sunday afternoon with my valentine. Today, The sun was peeping itself through the thin gray clouds shining its way into our small apartment and brightening up our enthusiasms to make a little feast. Crispy home fries, eggs in a basket, Greek yogurt topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries, drizzled with honey. To wash it all down, a burst of rouge and maximum flavor: freshly juiced strawberry and blood orange mimosas will do the trick.

Honey Bee Cake

This wonderful delight is like eating a chocolate bar, pure and dark. Just a small sliver will do, but if you are crazy like me, two is perfect company. What makes this cake so unique is its complexity of flavors and textures. This is no ordinary dime-a-dozen chocolate cake, no, this cake is dense and darkly luscious in every bite. Mixing the batter was almost as enjoyable as savoring two slivers. The mixture was a beautiful liquid satin, a liquid satin that baked into an astonishingly moist and dense cake. I was joyously surprised! The best and unique component of the cake, aside from the super cute bees, was the addition of the glossy, golden syrup: honey. Honey not only in the batter, but honey in the glaze which made it the star ingredient. If you like things gooey and sticky, this is a must to make.

All credit goes to Nigella Lawson. Ingredients and recipe found here: Honey Bee Cake

Italian Bean Soup

So simple. So delicious. So nutritious. One of my favorites. This is one of those meals that, i think, can satisfy even the most grim of eaters. Buttery cannellini beans, tangy tomato sauce, fiery red pepper flakes, smokey pancetta and lovely garlic bits. To give it a fresh burst, top off your piping hot soup with a sprinkle of Italian flat leaf parsley and nutty Parmesan.

Ingredients:

4 or 5 garlic cloves
6 oz can tomato sauce
1 can cannellini beans
1/2 pound of fagioli pasta
few slices of pancetta (depends on how much you want)
red pepper flakes
Italian flat leaf parsley
Parmesan cheese
salt

Directions:

saute 4 chopped garlic cloves in a hot pan with olive oil. Add in diced pancetta and saute until brown. Sprinkle red pepper flakes and toast for a minutes or so. Add the tomato sauce. Add in the beans. let simmer for a few minutes. Add the pasta to the bean mixture when it is still al dente. You don't want over-cooked, chewy pasta in your soup. Stir well, season with salt, and then serve. Chop up some fresh parsley and grated parmesean cheese and sprinkle it over the dish.

I am an avid fan of Heather Johnson and her youtube cooking channel. Ingredients and recipe found here: Italian Bean Soup

Chocolate Cupcakes, Naturally

I am stuffing my face with one of these chocolate delights as I type - and it is just right. Not too rich, not too heavy, and not too sweet. Instead of using refined or granulated sugar, I wanted to replace it with something naturally sweet: applesauce and agave goodness. Two really good and "healthier" alternatives to baking cupcakes that are not only easy but also decadent enough to satisfy my chocolate fix. I should know, the happy evidence is all over my keyboard.

Ingredients:

1 cup agave syrup
1 1/2 to 2 cups applesauce (depending on how thick the batter is)
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate

Directions:

Mix everything and then place in cupcake molds. Chop up a dark chocolate bar or use dark chocolate chips. Throw in the batter. Oven should be at 350°. Bake for about 35 minutes.

Enjoy! (bird toothpicks are optional).

Roast Chicken at its Finest

Roast chicken. I can do this with in my eyes closed. For something that is so deceptively difficult to make, the preparation is quite simple and clean up is a snap. This meal is a luxury to eat at the end of a busy or lazy day. It is a spot-hitting triumph.

Ingredients:

5 or 6 pound whole chicken
1/2 pound carrots
1 pound small potatoes
1/2 yellow onion
1 or 2 fennel
1/2 pound Brussels sprout (optional)
2 lemons
one orange
olive oil
garlic
fresh thyme
fresh rosemary
fresh sage

Directions:

Rinse the chicken real well under cool running water (make sure to rinse the inside cavity sans the giblets). Pat dry with paper towel. Place the chicken in a large baking dish. Cut a lemon and orange in half and place inside the chicken as well as sprigs of thyme, rosemary and a few garlic cloves. Cut the small potatoes into halves and pour around the chicken. Roughly cut up the onion, carrots and fennel into whatever sizes you wish. Pour around the chicken. I really like throwing whole garlic cloves around the chicken because as they cook up in the oven, they become so sweet, they are almost like candy. Squeeze a whole lemon over the chicken and vegetables as well as a bit of olive oil. Chop up some sage, rosemary and thyme and sprinkle over the dish as well as some sea salt and cracked pepper.

Bake in a 450° oven and cook for a little over an hour. It depends on the oven, but the bird should be 165°, at which point it should be fully cooked through.

*A little tip: When I was visiting France this time last year, I had roast chicken. What was so special about it were the little peeled potatoes. Unlike roasting potatoes with the peels on where the outside is crunchy, the bare potatoes were so tender and soft from the outside in, but not to the point of falling apart. The potatoes absorbed the olive oil and the juice from the lemon so well that I had to copy it myself.


Enjoy!

Chili Veggie Style

Aside from a bubbling bowl of baked macaroni and cheese, I can't think of a more satisfying and gorgeously warming bowl of something than chili, vegetarian style. Nothing compares to all of the sensations your mouth feels when spooning in lovely bits of wholesome and healthy ingredients in each and every bite. The dark red kidney bean gives a wonderfully buttery texture and mild flavor against the robust chunks of carrot and the distinctively powerful spices that pack a punch. A bowl of this, so rich and deep in flavors, adding meat would be purely contradictory.

p.s. for best flavor, don't measure to a T. It's chili.

Ingredients:

3 carrots
3 celery sticks
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 cans kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 poblano pepper
1/2 can tomato paste
1 cup water (depending on how thick you prefer)

spices:

4 tablespoons of chili powder (more to taste)
*Cumin, paprika, coriander
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne

Directions:

Dice the carrots, onion, celery, poblano pepper and garlic cloves. Put about a tablespoon of olive oil into a fairly hot pot. saute the onions until translucent. toss in the diced garlic until light brown. toss carrots and celery into the pot and saute for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are softer, but not falling apart. Toss in the 2 cans of kidney beans and mix well with the veggies. Add poblano pepper. Toss in the can of diced tomatoes and one cup of water. Add the half can of tomato paste to thicken. add the spices. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Let simmer for about a half hour to allow all ingredients to meld as well as the flavor. Add shredded cheddar cheese.

Enjoy!