Chocolate Nut Clusters

I've been trying to be good all week. Cutting back a bit. Salads for dinner. But this morning, my inner child was stomping her feet and yelling, "Enough of the lettuce already!! Give me some chocolate and nobody gets hurt!" What can I say? I'm a wimp who loves chocolate.....I simply had to give in to her temper tantrum. It's not like I make this kind of thing very often, but sometimes you just have to be a little decadent.

Let me say that this is the easiest recipe known to mankind. All you need is a microwave, some chocolate, a little butter and mixed nuts. Since my kids don't like nuts, it's safe to say that Breen and I will be the only ones eating these. I think I might have to ask the kids to hide them so we don't eat them all in one sitting!

Chocolate Nut Clusters
1 cup of chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate of your choice)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup of mixed nuts

In a microwave safe bowl (I used a glass measuring cup), melt the chocolate and butter. It took me around 3 minutes and I checked and stirred the chocolate after each minute to make sure it didn't burn. Remove from microwave and add the nuts. If you have a hard time mixing, simply add A DROP or two of water to help it move a little. Once the nuts are coated in chocolate, drop spoonfuls on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator until set. Store candy in an airtight container for up to one month OR eat them all in one sitting, but don't yell at me :)

Cashew Curry

This is the best curry recipe I've made to date. I prepared it for my lunch today and it was simply sublime and sensual. The vegetables and tofu simmer in a rich broth of coconut milk and curry. It was quick and easy to make. I've experimented with lots of curry dishes on this journey and I don't think I ever need to look further than this one. I prepared some white rice cooked in water and coconut milk. I spooned the rice in to my bowl and ladled the cashew curry over it.


One cup of coconut milk
1-2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 large red onion, chopped
One large garlic clove, chopped
1/3 cup of water
4 oz extra firm tofu (half a block), cut into small cubes
1/2 cup of snow peas
One cup cauliflower, cut into small florets
One red pepper, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup of cashews

Bring half the coconut milk to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in the curry powder and salt. Stir in the red onion and garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and water and then the tofu. Cook for another minute or two. Add the snow peas, cauliflower and red pepper and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for a minute or two until the vegetables become crisp tender. Remove the pot from the heat. Serve in a bowl over a little rice and garnish with the cashews.

Cheese Straws

I was so busy this past week. I had the best intentions of featuring lots of "C" recipes and I simply could not find the time. Last week, I was out finishing some last minute errands for my husband's birthday when I came across a cookbook for $3. Here's the thing about cookbooks: you spend the money on them and, half the time, there are only about 6 recipes out of 100 that you actually like. Not this cookbook. This one is entitled, "Gifts from the kitchen" published by Love Food Books. Apparently, they have a series of others just like this. I swear I can't wait to bake all 40 of these yummy recipes. Each one is straight forward and easy to put together. Things like Chocolate Nut Clusters, Easy Nut Brittle, Pistachio Turkish Delight, Almond and Cashew Toffee and Herbs de Provence Oil. The pictures are gorgeous and mouthwatering too. Today, I'm featuring the Cheese Straws. These go great with salad and soup or for a nice afternoon snack.

Cheese Straws
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz Parmesan cheese
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Cream the butter in an electric mixer, then add the remaining ingredients (the mixture will be very crumbly). Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425. Slice off pieces of dough and roll them in to 1 inch balls. Then, with the palms of your hands, roll the balls into long, thin strips, like straws. Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet (I HIGHLY recommend using parchment paper instead of greasing the sheet; simply cut off a piece the size of the baking sheet and lay it on the baking sheet). Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden and crispy. Once cooled, store in an airtight container for up to one month.

Here are some highlights from the book:

Carrot Tea Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm finally moving on to the "C" recipes. Don't forget about the apron giveaway. I'll be picking a winning name out of a jar this Friday. Winner gets this fun apron:


Let the "C" begin!



Let's face it, I'd rather swim in a cesspool naked without goggles than eat a plateful of carrots. But it felt sacrilegious to feature vegetarian "C" recipes without as much as a nod to the carrot. So, here's my contribution to the nasty orange demon. There is one good thing about this recipe; my kids are eating their carrots in such a sweet way. As for me, I'm only in this for the cream cheese frosting :)

Carrot Tea Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Serves 8
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup packed grated carrots (from about 2 carrots)
1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 5-by-9-inch (6-cup) loaf pan. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in carrots. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto a wire rack, and let cool completely.
Make frosting: Using mixer, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until fluffy. Frost top of cooled cake.

Bleu Cheese Macaroni

This is the last "B" recipe for now. Tomorrow I'll be offering you a sweet "C" recipe. How could I let "B" end without glorifying my absolute favorite cheese of all time? I love bleu cheese so much and this dish certainly showcases it perfectly. I'll warn you now that this is not a typical kid-style mac and cheese. If you want to go for something over-the-top decadent, you've simply got to try this. It's rich, super creamy and filling; a little goes a long way. You may be cursing me for the calories, but you'll be thanking me for a forkful of Gorgonzola heaven.

Note: I cut the recipe in half for myself (with plenty leftover) and used whole milk instead of heavy cream. Also, start off with less Bleu Cheese and add acording to taste.

Bleu Cheese Macaroni
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sliced green bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup crumbled blue cheese (or a little less if you don't want it so strong)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat combine butter, salt, pepper and bell peppers. Simmer until heated through. Stir in cream, flour, yogurt, bleu cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Stir cooked macaroni into cheese mixture and serve hot.

Butterscotch Oatmeal with Spiced Pumpkin Butter

I have no idea how you’re going to thank me for this recipe. It’s that heavenly. This past weekend, I found a small jackpot of pumpkin recipes. Since Fall is approaching quickly and the stores are loaded with pumpkins now, I simply couldn't wait to make some pumpkin butter and share it with you. Just one problem: Pumpkin butter starts with the letter P and I’m still on letter B. So I thought to myself, what can I put the pumpkin butter on so that I can still sneak it in now? Oatmeal came to mind but that starts with the letter O. Then, out of NOWHERE, the phrase Butterscotch Oatmeal with Spiced Pumpkin Butter hit me like a bolt of lightning. Butterscotch???? What the Hell? So I Googled it and found one obscure recipe! It turned out so incredibly phenomenal. Imagine the mellow flavor of butterscotch accented with the earthy spice of pumpkin butter. Then add on some toppings like toasted coconut, roasted almonds and crisp Granny Smith apple slivers. Oh my stars! Yes, you’ll find a way to thank me, I’m sure.


Butterscotch Oatmeal (from the collection of mrbreakfast.com)

(2 servings)

1 and 3/4 cups milk
1 cup rolled oats
1 egg - beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
In a medium-sized sauce pan at medium-high heat, combine milk, egg and brown sugar. Stir in the oats. Cook until you get a rapid boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until thick. When you get your desired consistency, stir in the butter until melted and mixed. Sprinkle with toppings.



Spiced Pumpkin Butter

2 cups canned pumpkin
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

In large heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Cook uncovered, over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Careful for mixture splattering. Let it cool and spoon in to an airtight container. Store in refrigerator for 1 week; freezer for 6 months.

Banana Chip Cookies

These are one of my favorite cookie recipes. I admit that I've been disenchanted with vegetarian desert recipes. But I've been a big fan of 101 Cookbooks blog for quite some time. Heidi finds a way to take very healthy, wholesome ingredients and turn them into delicious dishes. I've been making these cookies for my husband for a while now. He's got quite the sweet tooth and I feel better that he's eating cookies with whole wheat flour and natural raw sugar. Trust me when I write that these cookies are bursting with flavor and yummy goodness! The trick to baking these cookies is to NOT overcook them (7 minutes total). They might not seem fully cooked when you initially pull them out of the oven but, once they cool down, they are the perfect consistency. If you overcook them, they will turn out like rocks. Also, always use parchment paper when you're baking. I think it helps to turn out the perfect cookie every time (easy to find in the supermarket with the aluminum foil and saran wrap).

Banana Chip Cookie Recipe

If you can't find whole wheat pastry flour, regular all-purpose white flour will work. If you can't find wheat germ, substitute an equal amount of flour. I look for organic banana chips - the ones I like are made with organic coconut oil and bananas.
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (see head notes)
1/2 cup (toasted) wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup banana chips, loosely chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, racks in middle/upper middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, or stand mixer, beat the butter until lightly and fluffy, then beat in the sugar until it is the consistency of a thick frosting. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next, and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times along the way (important!). Stir in the vanilla. Add the reserved flour mix in two increments, stirring/mixing a bit between each addition (but not too much). By hand, stir in the banana chips, chocolate chips and walnuts - mix just until everything is evenly distributed.
Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for about 7 - 8 minutes, until barely golden on top and bottom. Resist over baking, they will come out dry and not as tasty. Cook on racks.
Make about 24 cookies.