Archives for February 2013

Salted Caramel Brownies

February 28, 2013 by Mackenzie

Salted Caramel anything is automatically my favorite dessert – I love salted caramel ice cream (especially from Molly Moon’s in Seattle), salted caramels themselves (Fran’s has the BEST – also in Seattle), salted caramel frozen yogurt (new flavor at Chill in STL this month), salted caramel milkshakes (Bailey’s Range in STL has awesome ones!), salted caramel pie, salted caramel chocolate chip cookies… you name it and I love it. So when I saw these brownies on Smitten Kitchen’s blog (a blog Libby and I follow semi-religiously!), I knew these were going straight to the top of my “Next Up to Bake” list!

I brought them to a College Central Fellowship event and they were devoured!!! I even doubled the recipe and they were GONE. And I’m not ashamed to say I had three (although they were cut small so I didn’t feel quite as guilty!).

This recipe is GREAT and I highly recommend you take them to the next event you need to bring a dessert to – so you can’t eat them all because I totally would have if they had been left on my counter…

Salted Caramel Brownies
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen
Makes an 8×8 pan

Ingredients:

Caramel:
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Heaped 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Brownies:
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heaped 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

Caramel:
1. Place a square of parchment paper on a plate – spray the plate to keep the paper from slidding off and also spray the paper just to make sure the caramel will come off easily.

2. Melt sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat – about 5 minutes, stirring to break up chunks. It should be copper colored when it is done, if not, cook until it reaches a nice copper. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, then the cream and salt. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and cook over medium high heat, melting it fully and cooking until it is a shade darker.

3. Pour caramel onto the parchment-plate and place in the freezer. Freeze until solid, about 30-40 minutes.

Brownies:
1. While the caramel is firming up, make the brownies. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 inch square baking pan with parchment, making sure that it extends up the sides so you can easily lift the whole thing out. Spray with cooking spray.

2. Melt chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water or melt in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between. (I did the microwave way because I was impatient). Stir until smooth. Add in sugar, then the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and salt. Add flour and mix until combined.

Assembly:
1. When the caramel has hardened, chop into rough 1-inch squares. Gently fold 3/4 of the caramel squares into the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Scatter the remaining caramel squares on top of the batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Caramelized Onion, Dijon and Gruyere Puff Pastry

February 22, 2013 by Mackenzie

My mom and Tom shared this recipe with me. They went to a dinner party with some friends of theirs and one of their friends brought this appetizer. They loved it and asked for the recipe and passed it to me! It’s shockingly simple but tasty and looks like you put a whole bunch of work into it 🙂 I brought it to a potluck and people loved it! They kept going back for more and it disappeared far too quickly!

The original recipe calls for a layer of salami but since so many of my friends are vegetarian, I switched out the salami for Caramelized onions. It worked great!

Caramelized Onions, Dijon and Gruyere Puff Pastry
Makes a 10×10 square
Recipe Adapted from a cookbook but I have no idea which one since I just have a cropped picture!

Ingredients:

1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
Olive oil
6 oz Gruyere cheese, grated (or whatever kind you like)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Heat oil in a shallow saucepan (enough to coat bottom). Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and caramelized. Remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, roll out one sheet of pastry into a 10×10 square (mine came as a rolled up square). Spread mustard over the pastry, leaving a one inch border all the way around. Next, spread the onions on top of the mustard layer. Finally, spread the grated cheese on top. Brush the border with some of the egg wash.

4. Cover with second sheet of puff pastry (rolled out similarly). Pinch edges together and brush the whole thing with the remaining egg wash. Cut three large slits in the top for steam to escape and chill for 15 minutes.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until top is golden brown (mine was shorter than that). Allow to cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve warm.

Tomato and Quinoa Bisque

February 14, 2013 by Mackenzie

Here’s a great soup recipe for a cold winter day! It’s easy to prepare, healthy and delicious!

I especially liked this soup because the quinoa gave it texture. I like my soups to be full of veggies or to be a little more exciting then pureed “something”. This was a great soup because it gave the classic tomato soup a little boost! Plus, it was a protein-packing boost!

Tomato and Quinoa Bisque
Recipe Adapted from Good Life Eats
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 15oz can whole, peeled tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 can of water
1/2 cup quinoa, dry but rinsed
1/2 cup almond milk
Grated cheese to garnish

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for five minutes. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning and saute for 3-5 more minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce, mixing well. Fill one of the empty cans with water and add to thin it out a bit (you may not need the whole can, or you may need more – I would have done less if I could do it again). Add the quinoa, bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the quinoa is cooked.

3. Remove the soup from the heat and cool slightly. Transfer half of the soup to a blender (all of the tomato chunks) and blend until smooth. Return to the pot, remixing with the non-blended half. Stir in the almond milk and additional spices if necessary (chili flakes!).

4. Serve warm, garnished with freshly grated cheese and with a toasted english muffin!
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Steelcut Oats – Cardamom, Vanilla and Bananas

February 10, 2013 by Mackenzie

When we were at the store last week I bought some plain, quick-cooking steelcut oats to make for breakfast. I’ve been experimenting with different combinations of toppings and here is my favorite so far!

Steel-Cut Oats with Cardamom, Vanilla and Bananas
Serves 1

1/4 cup steel-cut oats, uncooked
3/4 cups water
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Banana

Boil 3/4 cups water in a small saucepan. Add oats and cook, covered for 5-7 minutes. Let sit 1 minute. Add cardamom, vanilla and sliced banana – mix it up and eat with a hot cup of coffee!
(The cardamom and vanilla amounts are just approximations of what I do – I just add however much I feel is necessary to give it a good flavor, but start there)

Other good toppings to mix and match:
Blueberries, Bananas, Raspberries
Cinnamon, Cardamom, Vanilla Extract, Almond Extract, Maple Syrup, Honey
Slivered Almonds, Pecans, Walnuts, Chocolate Chips

Black Bean and Veggie Quesadillas

February 8, 2013 by Mackenzie

Since I don’t have class until noon everyday, I’ve been eating lunch in my room most days – typically leftovers or soup or a quick lunch I can whip up.

This recipe is one of those quick, whip-it-up lunches. I made the fillings yesterday and now, I can quickly throw my quesadillas together before I head off to class! Also, this recipe is low-cal and filled with vegetables so I feel good about eating it!

Black Bean and Veggie Quesadillas
Makes 4 servings
Recipe adapted from The Picky Eater

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup frozen corn
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (I used 1/4 cup of sliced jalapeños from a jar)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can refried black beans
Taco seasoning
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt
Shredded pepperjack cheese
4 whole wheat tortillas

1. Heat oil in a medium pot, add onion, bell pepper, corn, jalapeños, and garlic. Sauté until cooked through, 5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder and salt to taste. Mix well and remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile, heat refried beans in a small saucepan. Add about 2 tsps of taco seasoning to flavor the beans. Remove from heat when warm.
3. If you want to save some for later – keep bean and vegetable mixtures separate and refrigerate.
4. Assemble quesadillas by slathering 1/4 of the bean mixture on half of the tortilla, followed by 1/4 of the vegetable mixture. Top with cheese (you don’t need a ton because the beans will help hold it together too). Fold in half and heat on a sprayed pan over med/low heat. Flip halfway through and serve warm with salsa!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

February 7, 2013 by Mackenzie

I’ve been making smoothies a lot after my morning workout. It’s simple but good and so I thought I’d share it with you!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Makes 1
Recipe adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients:
1 banana
1 cup frozen strawberries, washed and halved
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon honey
Water or almond milk

Directions:
Put all ingredients except water or almond milk into a blender. Blend and add water or almond milk to thin it out as needed, I usually need about 1/4-1/2 cup.

Archives for February 2013

Mackenzie

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