Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Caramelized Plantain Dessert Quesadillas with Nutella

April 5, 2009

I recently read about Sugar High Fridays on Heather’s blog Diary of a Fanatic Foodie. It’s a fun monthly event dreamed up by Jennifer at The Domestic Goddess, where bloggers post an original dessert recipe. When I read Heather’s theme this month was desserts inspired by your favorite travel destinations, I immediately knew I wanted to create a recipe with caramelized plantains. Plantains are used in savory and sweet dishes in the Caribbean and are especially yummy when they are fried and coated with cinnamon and sugar. They are 100x better than caramelized bananas!

I decided to caramelize the plantains in the oven instead of frying them, and then layer them between Nutella and whole wheat tortillas. I brushed the quesadillas with butter and cinnamon and sauted them on both sides, until they turned golden brown and the cinnamon was baked into the tortillas, and then topped them with some chopped strawberry “salsa.” Each bite took me back to the beaches and flavors of the Caribbean! I really enjoyed coming up with this recipe and look forward to future Sugar High Fridays!

Caramelized Plantain Dessert Quesadillas with Nutella
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 black-brown plantains, sliced into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup Nutella
2 whole wheat tortillas
3 strawberries, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and brown sugar in a small dish. Mix butter and sugar mixture with sliced plantains in an 8-inch square baking dish. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes or until plantains are caramelized.

Spread Nutella evenly over tortillas. Top Nutella on one tortilla with caramelized plantains (you will probably have a few extra pieces to enjoy on their own!) and then place the remaining tortilla on top, Nutella side down.

Mix remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small dish. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat one side of the quesadilla. Place the quesadilla, buttered side down, in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, brush remaining butter on the other side of the quesadilla. Flip over and sauté the other side as well. Cool slightly and cut into wedges. Serve with strawberry “salsa,” if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 230 calories, 10.0g fat, 3.6g fiber, 3.8g protein per serving
Cost: $1.88 total

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Pomegranate Lime Rickey

April 2, 2009

I was super excited when the lovely folks at POM Wonderful asked if I would be interested in sampling their pomegranate juice a few weeks ago. I’d noticed so many great pomegranate juice recipes on the blogosphere, and couldn’t wait to try a few. The juice is really delicious and packs a nutritional punch. It’s so good, in fact, that it all somehow disappeared before I had the chance to develop a recipe with it! I replenished our stock and hid the new bottle in the back of our fridge where my hubby doesn’t poke around.

I decided to keep things simple and do a twist on the classic lime rickey. I had never heard of a lime rickey before moving to the East Coast. It’s a traditional New England beverage that is served at all the little beach places on the coast. It’s usually a mix of club soda, lime juice, and simple syrup. I wasn’t in the mood for a super sweet drink, so I decided to skip the simple syrup step and just mix a little seltzer water, pomegranate juice, and fresh lime juice. It was very refreshing and I enjoyed mine with a splash of gin! Thanks POM Wonderful!

Pomegranate Lime Rickey
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup seltzer water
Juice of half a lime
1/4 cup gin, if desired

Directions:
Mix all ingredients. Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition: 80 calories, 0.0g fat, 0.2g fiber, 0.7g protein per serving
Cost: $1.28 total

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Sweet Potato and Black Bean Hummus

March 30, 2009

We have a serious hummus/pita bread ratio problem at our house. Whenever we get a tub of hummus from Trader Joe’s and a pack of pita, the hummus disappears before we’re done with the pita bread! Most of the time I discover the poor forgotten pita in the back of the fridge weeks later. Well, this time I was determined not to let it go to waste, and whipped up this hummus to enjoy with it.

I recently saw a sweet potato and black bean burrito on a restaurant menu, which sounded like a fabulous flavor combination. We are big fans of sweet potatoes and black beans and always have both ingredients in our pantry. I combined mashed sweet potatoes and black beans with some lime juice and adobo sauce for extra kick. Very simple, but really good – I’m now looking forward to next time we have extra pita bread lying around so I have an excuse to make this again!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Hummus
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (from 2 cooked sweet potatoes, skins removed)
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers (or to taste)
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Pulse sweet potatoes, black beans, adobo sauce, lime juice, olive oil, and salt in a food processor until well blended. Serve with pita bread! Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition: 89 calories, 2.5g fat, 3.6g fiber, 3.2g protein per serving
Cost: $2.72 total

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Peanut Sauce Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

March 27, 2009

My hubby found the lid of our food processer in the recycling today. How in the world did it get in there?!? Luckily he noticed it before emptying our bin on the curb and disaster was avoided. I haven’t gotten enough sleep this week, and apparently it caught up with me! Whenever I’m having a super busy week, I go on autopilot in the kitchen and whip up a simple pasta dish that takes care of both the protein and veggie components of the meal.

I make this dish at least once a month and always have all the ingredients on hand because it’s one my favorites! Hearty whole wheat penne, chicken, and broccoli florets are coated in a light and spicy peanut sauce. Simple, easy, delicious.

Peanut Sauce Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 cups frozen broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups cold chicken stock
2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from pan. Meanwhile, prepare broccoli in the microwave according to the package directions.

Mix chicken stock and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, honey, and crushed red pepper; mix well and add peanut butter.

Pour sauce mixture into skillet the chicken was cooked in and heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, or until peanut butter melts, and sauce thickens and bubbles. Mix pasta, sauce, chicken, and broccoli, and stir until sauce evenly coats all the ingredients. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 508 calories, 14.7g fat, 8.g fiber, 36.4g protein per serving
Cost: $1.01 per serving

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Goat Cheese Pizza with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes

March 24, 2009

We rarely order pizza or make it at home, because I get free pizza at lunch meetings at least two times a week at work. This is a very common perk in science, and I’m sure I could find pizza to eat at seminars every day if I hunted around enough! But, I actually started craving pizza after Maria recommended this whole wheat crust recipe. I loved this dough because it was very tasty and easy to throw together. You just mix and knead the dough in the food processor and only have to let it rest for 20 minutes, which is just enough time to prepare all the other ingredients.

I decided to focus on one of my favorite ingredients for this pizza – goat cheese. It just makes everything better in my opinion! While I enjoy traditional pizzas with dollops of goat cheese used as one of the toppings, it’s just not enough for me – I want to taste the goat cheese in every bite! In this pizza, I replaced the traditional pizza sauce with a thick goat cheese spread and then loaded it up with some garlicy veggies on top. It was so good that I may actually start craving homemade pizza more often!

Goat Cheese Pizza with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound of your favorite pizza dough
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 8-ounce package fresh sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups fresh spinach (4 ounces)
6 ounces goat cheese
6 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped red onions
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 500˚F. Prepare pizza dough. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and spinach and sauté 1-2 more minutes or until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.

Mix goat cheese, milk, parmesan cheese, and salt in a small bowl until smooth. Spread pizza dough into desired shape. Spread goat cheese mixture evenly over crust. Top evenly with mushroom and spinach mixture, red onions, and tomato. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 500˚F for 10 – 14 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 267 calories, 11.9g fat, 3.4g fiber, 14.3g protein per serving
Cost: $1.04 per serving

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Apricot Pecan Spiral Coffee Cake

March 21, 2009

My kitchen is currently overflowing with Pillsbury brownie mixes and refrigerated cookie dough. Don’t worry, I’m not just looking for a sugar high - I’ve just started working on recipes for the 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off! Recipes are due April 20 and I encourage all my fellow food bloggers to enter. You’re such a creative bunch and you only need one good idea to win a trip to Orlando and the chance to compete for $1 million!

When I got the exciting call I was a finalist for the last Bake-Off, I was sure that this coffee cake recipe was the one they picked…it wasn’t, but I promise it’s really delicious and super easy to make. It’s also very versatile – you can easily change the kinds of nuts and fruit you use. My mom is addicted and now asks for it every single time I’m home! Ok, I hope I’ve inspired at least one person to have fun creating some recipes – time to get back to the kitchen!

Apricot Pecan Spiral Coffee Cake
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 cup packed Domino Light Brown Sugar
1 cup Fisher Chef’s Naturals Pecan Pieces
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (11-oz.) Pillsbury Refrigerated Crusty French Loaf
1/2 cup Smucker’s Apricot Preserves, melted

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Grease 8-inch round cake pan. In small bowl, combine butter, sugar, pecan pieces, dried apricots, and cinnamon; mix well.

Unroll bread dough onto floured surface, forming a 13×12-inch rectangle. Spread melted preserves evenly over dough. Sprinkle evenly with nut mixture and press lightly into dough.

Cut dough into 8 even 12-inch long strips. Roll up 1 strip into a spiral. Place spiral on next strip, matching ends of strip as you work, and continue rolling. Add 2 more strips to the spiral in the same way. Place spiral into center of greased pan. Cut remaining 4 strips in half to form 8 6-inch strips. To finish the spiral, loosely wrap remaining strips around the centered spiral in the pan, one at a time, matching ends of strips as you work. Spread completed spiral to fit pan, if needed, by pushing the center of the spiral down and out, so spiral fills and touches edges of the pan.

Bake at 350˚F for 28 to 33 minutes, or until coffee cake is golden brown. Immediately invert on serving platter, cool for 5-10 minutes, and cut into wedges. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 372 calories, 17.6g fat, 2.2g fiber, 5.3g protein per serving
Cost: $5.70 total

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Salmon Sandwiches with Avocado, Bacon, and Tomato

March 18, 2009

Why is it that I can remember every single morsel of food from a great restaurant that I visited 5-10 years ago, but can’t for the life of me remember to bring my wallet/cell phone/lunch/book to work? We have a wonderful bread store right across the street from us, and I was immediately reminded of a sandwich I had over 4 years ago at Disney World when I saw a gorgeous loaf of spinach, garlic, and onion ciabatta. I love Disney and I’m already looking forward to using our (future!) kiddos as an excuse to go back. My hubby and I had lunch in Cinderella’s castle in the Magic Kingdom and I ordered a sandwich called the The Mariner. It was basically an amazing salmon BLT that I could have eaten everyday!

I buy frozen salmon in bulk from Costco (well, not really in bulk, one package has 7 filets), and usually throw a marinade on it while it defrosts overnight. This time I decided to keep things simple, and just used a bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. After searing the salmon in a pan, I assembled all the other sandwich ingredients while I waited for the salmon to finish cooking in the oven. Instead of mayonnaise, I added sliced avocado for some creaminess. I gobbled the whole thing up and will definitely be making this simple dish again!

Salmon Sandwiches with Avocado, Bacon, and Tomato
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 salmon filets
4 slices turkey bacon
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 tomato, sliced
4 slices ciabatta

Directions:
Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and marinade frozen salmon overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the salmon filets on both sides. Bake salmon for 10 min at 350ºF or until no longer pink in the center. Meanwhile, place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat until crispy.

Assemble the sandwiches by placing half the avocado on a slice of bread, followed by the salmon, tomato slices, and bacon. Top with the remaining slice of bread. Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition: 689 calories, 28.8g fat, 3.3g fiber, 50.4g protein per serving
Cost: $2.85 per serving

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Nutella S’more Tart

March 15, 2009

Girl Scout cookie season has arrived! We scooped up five boxes from two troops selling boxes at the Davis and Harvard Square T stops. Despite our best attempts to ration the treats, one box of samoas has already disappeared…but they’re small, so you have to eat more than one at a time, right? I really enjoyed being a Girl Scout and especially loved camping. My favorite part was making pie-iron pizzas, banana boats, and S’mores over the campfire, and I decided it would be fun to come up with a more “grown-up” S’more dessert that could be served anytime!

Instead of using graham crackers, I decided to use crushed gingersnaps and hazelnuts in the crust, and top it with a rich Nutella-chocolate brownie layer and toasted marshmallows. I ended up with completely scorched marshmallows that almost set off our fire alarm the first time I made this, so definitely monitor the tart very closely when you use the broiler. This dessert is super rich and definitely best served right out of the oven while the marshmallows are still warm and gooey!

Nutella S’more Tart
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
3 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup Nutella
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips
3 cups mini-marshmallows

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, thoroughly mix gingersnap crumbs, hazelnuts, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Press in bottom and up side of ungreased 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom.

In a medium bowl mix remaining 1/4 cup butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and Nutella until smooth. Mix in flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Carefully spread dough evenly over the tart crust. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until brownie layer is cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Spread mini-marshmallows evenly over tart and return to the oven for 5 minutes or until marshmallows are melted. Carefully spread the melted marshmallows evenly over the top of the tart. Turn on the broiler and toast the top of the tart for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes and remove the tart from the pan. Use a well-buttered sharp knife to the cut the tart. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition: 413 calories, 27.2g fat, 2.9g fiber, 5.1g protein per serving
Cost: $6.90 total

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